I Dream in Shades of Red
by Ever-the-Optimist
Summary: Naruto didn't regret anything that led him here. Because this was all for Sasuke, and he could never regret Sasuke.
1. Prologue

**So, this is the obligaotry vampire fic. Because real vampires don't sparkle, damn it.**

**Warnings: Blood, gore, romance between two boys, character deaths and re-deaths, and lots and lots of blood. **

* * *

**Prologue**:

How the _Hell_ did he get himself into this mess?

Naruto had been asking himself that question a lot, especially recently. He must have done something incredibly wicked in a past life. Though, he didn't, couldn't really, regret anything that brought him to being here in this torture chamber surrounded by monsters. No, he couldn't even regret that he was about to die, probably very painfully if Itachi's sadistic smirk were anything to judge by. No, it was all for Sasuke, and he could never regret Sasuke.

Sasuke, for the first time since he met the man, was completely out of control. He was screaming, struggling against his chains, alternating between cussing, in several languages (how could Nartuo never fail to be impressed by this man?), and his more bestial snarling.

Naruto recognized one of the languages as Sausuke's archaic tongue that he would use sometimes when speaking to his comrades. Sometimes, when they were simply lying together, Sasuke had used this language to whisper words of love, or what Naruto assumed to be words of love, in his ear. He remembered thinking how beautiful it sounded, so much more ethereal than his own common day language. Now, interspersed with the snarling and gnashing of teeth, it sounded as if the words themselves were created to tear and kill their intended target. It made the hairs on Naruto's arms stand up, but he wouldn't back down. He had already made up his mind and, as he had been told several times before, he was rather stubborn when he put his mind to it.

In the shadows, he could hear Itachi's damned minions chanting. He only hoped that they were chanting the right words that would set Sasuke free. Itachi had given him his word that there wasn't going to be any tricks, and although he only trusted Itachi as far as he could throw him (which wasn't much- he had failed gym class), he trusted him this one time. It would hurt Sasuke so much more if Itachi was actually telling the truth.

"Itachi, you fucker! This is my choice! You wanted me to make this decision and I have! I desire not to be set free- you cannot continue!"

Itachi chuckled, dark and foreboding. "Poor baby brother. It appears as if the decision has been made for you. It is quite out of my hands at this point."

Sasuke snarled, baring his fangs. Naruto, for the first time since he came back down to Sasuke's cell, finally looked at the man. For the first time, Sasuke looked a whole lot like the monster he claimed to be. Naruto would give anything to be held by that monster one last time.

"Naruto, look at me. Please, do not do this. I wanted you to live." Naruto cringed at the raw look of betrayal in Sasuke's eyes.

"And I want you to be free. I promised you I would free you. And you know I never back down from a challenge." Naruto tried to smile, but it came out more of a grimace. The chanting had stopped. It was time.

A large, stone bowl was placed in front of Naruto. It had intricate designs carved into the sides and in the basin of the bowl. Naruto thought it would be rather pretty if he didn't know what it was used for. It was a sacrificial bowl. And the chanting had linked it directly to the chains preventing Sasuke from carrying out the very colorful threats he was now screaming rather hysterically at anyone who would listen.

'_Right_," thought Naruto, '_all_ _I have to do is bleed into the bowl_.' Itachi had given him explicit instructions. The deign in the inside of the bowl, a calendar, Naruto remember Itachi saying, had to be complete submerged in Naruto's blood for the spell to be broken. Somehow, it seemed so much larger from this angle.

"No! Naruto!" Naruto's attention was snapped back to Sasuke. A split second later, it was snapped back down to his own abdomen.

Or what was left of it.

A blood soaked, clawed tipped hand was protruding through his stomach. Vaguely, Naruto thought it should hurt a lot more than it did. '_Probably a side affect of being Sasuke's chew toy- a higher pain tolerance_,' he thought. He also thought he should be more disturbed than grateful that the hand, Itachi's he knew, was still there. He didn't think that he would be able to support himself and the bowl was only half filled.

He choked on something tasting familiar and coppery. His hazy mind identified it as blood, and he relished in the comforting taste before it started to spill out over his chapped lips.

Sasuke was completely feral, struggling against his chains. His language had been reduced to growls and snarls interspersed with cries of Naruto's name. He had, at some point, gouged his head on the stone floor and was bleeding. Naruto wanted so desperately to go to him, comfort him. But he knew that that was a long lost cause at this point.

'_Just wait, Sasuke, you'll be free soon_.'

Finally, the bowl was filled. Itachi withdrew his hand to complete the ritual, and Naruto, as he had expected, collapsed. His vision was going spotty and he could no longer distinguish Sasuke's handsome features. He wished that he could live long enough to see Sasuke rip Itachi's head from his shoulders, but his tunneling vision signaled to him that he wasn't going to last much longer.

"Naruto, hold on! Do not leave me! Please!" Sasuke's voice. Naruto tried to answer him with a "I won't ever leave you Sasuke, I'm not going anywhere" but all he could manage was a weak smile.

And then, like a flipping of a switch, everything went black.


	2. Chapter 1: An Introduction, of sorts

**Chapter 1: An introduction, of sorts**

It was official- Naruto _hated _his life. And he gave up. He signaled his defeat by thunking his head on his desk.

Karin, his desk mate, only laughed at his distress. "Lost another one, did you?"

"Ya know, all they would have to do is say 'No thank you' and hang up. They don't have to be so mean about," Naruto moaned.

"Naruto, we're telemarketers. We're one of the most hated groups of people on this planet. Right above serial killers and below child molesters."

Naruto grimaced. That's right, he was a telemarketer. A rather successful telemarketer at that, as far as telemarketers go. He claimed it was due to his amazing wit and charm. Karin claimed it was due to people just wanting to shut him up. That boy could talk!

Karin reached across the desk and patted Naruto's head. "You know what you need?" she asked.

"No, I won't go to that freaky club you keep trying to drag me to."

Karin sighed. "Naruto, you need to get out. All you do is come to work and then go home, _alone,_ to watch crappy sitcom reruns. You weren't made for monotony. It's killing you."

Naruto lifted his head enough to cross his arms under his chin. He shot Karin his best non-impressed look. "I'll survive," he said dryly. He scowled. "And what's wrong with my crappy sitcoms? I like them. They make me laugh."

"Real people should make you laugh, not characters on the TV. Naruto, the only person you come into any kind of contact with is me, and even then, it's only here at work. You spend all of your time alone. And you and I both know that you don't really want to be alone the rest of your life."

Naruto huffed and buried his head back into the folds of his arms. It was an old argument that had gone stale. For the past couple of months, Karin had been harping at him to go to this club with her. It was odd, because before that, Karin did a pretty good job of ignoring him.

Like everyone else. Karin was right about that one thing. Naruto was alone. He always had been. His parents had abandoned him on the steps of an orphanage when he was still a baby. He had been shuttled from one foster home to another. Desperate for attention, he had often acted out- which inevitably landed him back in the orphanage. It was a bitter routine that continued until he had aged out of the program. Now, as a 26 year old man, Naruto had isolated himself.

He remembered the old house mother from the orphanage smiling at him the day he turned 18. He remembered her telling him, "Don't be afraid, Naruto. Don't let your past dictate your future." He remembered laughing back at her and, loudly, proclaiming that he wasn't afraid of anything. Now, older and slightly wiser, he realized that he had done exactly what she warned him not to do. He was afraid of being rejected, cast aside, like he had been so many times before. And so, he never gave anyone the opportunity.

And he wasn't so sure that he ever would be able to.

"Thanks but no thanks, Karin." Karin scowled and opened her mouth to reply, but Naruto cut across her. "Hey, 5 o'clock! Time to go home and watch my crappy sitcom reruns. See you tomorrow!" And with that, Naruto grabbed his jacket and scurried down the narrow hallway and into the elevator before Karin could try to change his mind.

Because he wasn't sure that she wouldn't be successful.

* * *

Naruto blearily blinked his eyes open. Stretching, he craned his neck over the back of the couch to see the clock hanging by his bed. 2 am. He sighed and collapsed back onto the couch. The TV was still on. He hadn't even realized he'd fallen asleep. He grimaced as the detectives on the TV poked around a rather grisly murder scene. Blood, even fake, tended to make him queasy. Picking up the remote, he changed the channel to some infomercial. He didn't really care what they were selling, he just needed the background noise.

He sighed again and looked around his, admittedly, tiny apartment. It consisted of only two rooms- the bathroom and everything else. His kitchen area was simply a microwave sitting on top of a dormitory-sized refrigerator on the same wall as the door, with a coffee table intended to be his kitchen table, which he never used; his bedroom, on the wall opposite, consisted of the bed and a large orange crate that was currently serving as his closet. At the foot of the bed sat his TV and his living area was a long, black couch that he had hauled home from the foot of someone's driveway. The bathroom was snugly situated on the last wall. It was about the same size as an airplane's bathroom. All in all, he could walk from one end of his apartment to the other in 9.7 seconds flat- he had timed it one evening when he was going stir crazy.

Despite the near claustrophobic characteristics of his apartment, though, Naruto couldn't help but think that it felt empty. It had very nearly overwhelmed him when he had gotten home from work that evening. He had been a split second away from slamming the door and running away before he reminded himself that he was Uzumaki Naruto and that he wasn't afraid of anything, damnit, and had forced himself to close the door with him firmly inside. He had locked the door as an added precaution against any stupidity.

He even knew why it felt so empty, thought the knowledge itself wasn't very comforting. He was lonely. It was a feeling he recognized, like an old friend you don't bother making the effort to acknowledge anymore.

When he was a child, and he had run out of people to annoy at the orphanage, he would find a corner to curl up in and he would imagine. He would dream up a family for himself- a mother who would wrap her arms around him and hug him and kiss his head; a father that looked exactly like him that would smile at him proudly. He had gotten pretty good at his game of imagine. A couple of times, he had even fooled himself into believing that there were a pair of arms wrapped around him. This game of his had been the only thing to get him through the bleak days of his youth. As he had gotten older, his cynicism had kicked in and he had put a stop to that nonsense. Leaning back into the worn couch and closing his eyes, he wondered what kind of family he would imagine for himself now.

He was too old for maternal kisses, but he begrudgingly thought that kisses from _someone _would be nice. He hasn't ever done anything worthy enough of a father's proud smile, but _someone_ smiling just for him wouldn't be too bad either. And while he would probably punch anyone who tried to hug him, he longed for _someone_ to hold him, protect him, cherish him. If he squinted his eyes shut tight enough and pushed his back hard enough into the cushions of the couch, he could feel that _someone's_ strong arms slip around his waist, whispering loving words in his ear. Naruto let his eyes drift open.

No, he didn't need a family. Just one special someone. Someone very much like a lover.

The physical ache in his chest prompted Naruto to stand. He paced from one end of his apartment to the other before he forced himself to sit down again. He reached forward and grabbed the remote before turning the volume up louder. He wouldn't be getting any sleep tonight, and he wanted the noise to drown out his thoughts.

The next day, when Naruto arrived to work, he stayed standing by his desk, waiting for Karin to finish her first call of the morning. After she hung up and before she could greet him, Naruto opened his mouth to speak. "I'll go."

Karin's eyes widened before a beautiful smile lit across her face. And between making plans for that evening and Karin assuring him that he wouldn't regret it, Naruto felt the coil in chest loose enough to hope one last time.

* * *

"Relax Naruto. That scowl of yours is a major turn-off." Karin eyed the blond wearily as his scowl deepened before he threw back his drink. How many had he had already? One, two, ... twenty two? She had lost count when Naruto stood up from the table they were at, declared himself not nearly drunk enough to deal with this crowd, and marched over to the bar. She pitied the boy's poor liver.

"Relax! You want me to relax? I've been propositioned like, five times, and…and…and groped no less than twenty times and we've only been here," he looked at his watch, squinted, "two hours! Karin, if anything, this entire experience has taught me that I'm better off staying in my apartment. Hey! Bartender guy! My glass is empty and I'm still sober!" With that, Naruto's head fell forward and landed, not so gently, on the bar's counter.

Said bartender looked passively at Naruto before turning and quirking an eyebrow at Karin in silent question. She smiled back before pulling on Naruto's hair to get him to sit back up.

"It's not that bad, Naruto. You're just in an unfamiliar location. After the shock wears off…"

"I'm not in shock!"

"…and you loosen up a bit, you'll be able to enjoy yourself."

Naruto scoffed. "Not with any of these freaky people. Honestly, are they for real? Where do you even find people like this?"

Karin rolled her eyes. "Here, apparently. And I'm sure that they can hear you, so watch what you say." She lowered her voice to cut under the ruckus of the bar around them and Naruto had to strain to hear her. "And believe me, you wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of any of these people."

"I'm not sure I want to be on any side of any of them," Naruto replied. And it was true. There were the typical Goths and Goth-wannabes, the Ravers, and even some of the preppy students from the college a few blocks away. All of them were dancing, drinking, laughing, and generally having a good time, or angsting where appropriate. Scattered here and there were businessmen, but most of them were too busy staring into the bottom of their drinks to notice the ruckus surrounding them. But none of these people were the ones that concerned Naruto.

No, the group of people that concerned him was a group of very beautiful and very quiet people dressed in all black. It was a fairly large group of people scattered in small groups around the bar that were standing perfectly still. None of the smiled, none of them were drinking anything, Hell, none of the even seemed to react to the noise and press of bodies around them. They just stood and _watched_ the room, almost as if they were waiting for something.

Occasionally, Naruto would notice one of them break off from their fellows and go up to someone outside of their group. They would speak to them, sometimes smile at them, and then they would both get up and leave out of a back door. Sometime later, they would return, _alone_, and rejoin their group. Naruto wondered if they were the bouncers of this place, but he was beginning to doubt it. They were creepy and they made the hairs all over Naruto's body stand on end, like a dog raising its hackles in preparation for a fight.

More than once, Naruto had felt eyes on the back of his neck. He had stubbornly refused to acknowledge the feeling, but it was starting to create an uncomfortable itch. And that feeling was back, full force. Naruto turned his head slightly so he could look out from under his bangs to try and determine who was staring at him, but through the mass of bodies, it was difficult to tell. He casually turned on his barstool so his back was pressing into the counter and he could look out over the club easier and without raising suspicion. He scowled, about ready to give up on the feeling and chalk it up to his paranoia from being so close to too many people all at once when a flash of red caught his eye. He squinted, trying to make out what could cause such a flash when he realized he was staring into coal black eyes.

Naruto tried to turn his head to break off the eye contact, but found that he couldn't move. The figure was set back in the shadows across the room, so Naruto couldn't discern any features other than he was male and was very well built. Slowly, the figure stepped forward so Naruto could see him better. He was pale with midnight black hair. Irrationally, what bothered Naruto the most was the he was wearing all black. Black dress pants, black silk shirt, black coat. _'No red anywhere_,' thought Naruto, panic starting to creep up his throat. This man made Naruto want to run.

And he was still staring, almost accusingly. And Naruto couldn't look away.

Finally, their stair down was broken off by Karin's concerned face. "Naruto, are you OK? I think you stopped breathing there for a second." Naruto turned back to see if the man was still staring at him, but he was gone.

Naruto was about to reply with a "No, I'm not OK, there's a man staring at me like he's going to _murder _me," but he was interrupted by another voice.

"Karin."

Karin's back immediately stiffened and she turned slowly to face the new voice. Naruto started to panic when he realized that it was one of the beautiful people from before. And, did he have blue hair?

"Suigetsu."

And wait, Karin _knew _him?

But before Naturto could voice his question, an arm was slung around his shoulders.

"Hey Blondie, let's say you and I go some place quite and let them have their lovers' quarrel?"

Naruto turned to look at his assailant. Another one of the beautiful people, with brown shaggy hair and what Naruto decided were tattoos in the shape of upside down red triangles under each eye. He turned back to Karin and what apparently was Suigetsu in time to catch a piece of their conversation.

"…you deliberately disobeyed…"

"I did not. He never said that I _couldn't_ bring him…"

"You were supposed to just _observe_, Karin, not flaunt him around!"

"I'm not flaunting anything! And why shouldn't he be able to have a life..."

Naruto nodded dumbly at the man and he felt the arm around his shoulders pressure him into a standing, forward motion. Looking around the room, he saw all of the beautiful, black clad people's eyes were on him, watching him wearily as if he had just threatened to blow the place up. He was so concerned with the looks he was getting that he didn't notice where he was being led. He looked up in time to see the man usher him to the door of no return, but before he could put on his breaks, they were through the door and in…

'…_the alley?'_ Yes, it was definitely an alley. Maybe these guys were bouncers after all?

The man led him to the far wall before he himself leaned back against it.

"So, Blondie, my name's Kiba. And your name is?"

Naruto hesitated, but Kiba continued to smile like a lunatic at him, showing almost all of his teeth. "Naruto."

"Well, Naruto, are you enjoying yourself so far?"

"Not really. Clubs aren't my thing, apparently."

If possible, Kiba's smile widened even further before he pushed himself off the wall and invaded Naruto's space. He braced both arms on either side of Naruto's head and leaned in close to his face.

"Well then, why don't we go have a private party, just the two of us?"

Before Naruto could react (he swears he was going to push the man away), a deep voice sounded across the alley like a gun shot.

"Kiba."

And Kiba was off of him like a gun shot too. Naruto blinked, and Kiba was on the far wall and turned towards to newcomer.

"Sasuke! I was just making friends here! I wasn't going to do anything. Promise!" Kiba laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his head.

Naruto raised one eyebrow in disbelief before turning to this Sasuke to see if he was buying this bull, but his breath caught in his throat instead. It was the man from before! The one that had been staring at him. With his dark glare settled firmly on someone else, Naruto took a closer look at the man. He looked like the classic Aristocrat- high cheek bones and sharp features. He was, admittedly, handsome. But Naruto couldn't get around the feeling that he should be running from this man, rather than staring at him.

"Go back inside. Now." Kiba immediately reacted, scuttling around Sasuke and back through the alley door. Sasuke followed Kiba's progress with his eyes, but as soon as Kiba was back inside, Sasuke's focus snapped back to Naruto. Naruto, very visibly, flinched.

"You do not belong here."

Naruto forced back his reply of agreement and said instead, "It's not a private club, is it? So I have every right to be here, just as much as you. More so because I'm not a bastard." Naruto mentally smacked his head. Great, now said bastard was going to kill him for calling him a bastard. He really should start thinking before he spoke.

Sasuke, however, didn't even react to the insult. "Who brought you here?"

"A friend." Like Hell he was going to give Karin's name. Who knew what he'd do to her.

"You don't have any friends."

Naruto's jaw dropped. He didn't, but that was besides the point! This man was so rude! And a right bastard. Naruto decided to tell him so. Again.

"You bast…"

"Did Karin bring you here?" Sasuke interrupted.

'_Yes_' "No." A pause. "You know Karin?"

Sasuke scoffed. Naruto stared at him for a second before he realized his slip up. But before he could correct his mistake, Karin herself barged through the alley door. She looked pale and was visibly shaking.

"Naruto! Are you ok? I looked up and you were gone! Don't you ever…"

"Karin." Karin flinched before turning and facing Sasuke. She gulped.

"S-S-Sasuke! I…"

"Send him home. Now. We will discuss this later." Karin nodded and Sasuke swept past her and back into the building. Naruto finally was able to suck air back into his lungs before he leaned back against the wall. Karin turned to him and eyed him carefully.

"Come on, Naruto. I think it's time that you went home." Naruto was about to tell her to not let herself be bullied around by that bastard, but his knees started to go out from underneath him. Then there was Karin's hand was on his elbow, and Naruto found himself almost being dragged around the building and onto the street. She hailed a Taxi, and when one pulled over, she forced him into the back seat. She then lent down to the passenger window and told the driver Naruto's address and paid him. She then leaned back down to Naruto's still open door. "I'm sorry about tonight, Naruto. I was only doing what I thought was best. You go home and go right to bed, all right? And I'll see you tomorrow." With that, Karin slammed the door on any reply Naruto tried to make and turned around and went back inside the club.

* * *

Naruto couldn't remember the ride home. He remembered vaguely thanking the driver and tripping, twice, on his way up the stairs to his apartment. He remembered his hands shaking as he put his key into the lock, and then falling, face first and still clothed, onto his bed.

'_Something happened tonight_,' he thought. '_Something I don't understand_.' He decided he'd corner Karin tomorrow at work and make her explain it to him.

And with his next exhale, Naruto fell into a deep sleep.


	3. Chapter 2: Dreaming in Shades of Red

**Chapter Two: Dreaming in Shades of Red **

He couldn't tell if he was dreaming in black and white or in color. Sasuke's coloration made it hard to tell. There was black hair, black clothes, and creamy white skin. He was walking towards Naruto. He stopped when they were standing side by side. Slowly, Sasuke turned his head to face him. But instead of the coal black eyes Naruto was expecting to see, Sasuke's eyes were red. Crimson red. Blood red. Naruto tried to think of something to say, but Sasuke was already growling.

"You do not belong here." And then Sasuke's hand was shooting out to wrap around his throat.

Naruto woke up disorientated and struggling to breathe.

* * *

When Naruto arrived to work, Karin was already at their desk on her first call of the morning. Naruto waited until she hung up before starting in.

"And what was that?" he asked.

"Well, that was me doing my job. Which you should consider doing before the boss finds you standing around talking." She reached for the phone again, but Naruto beat her to it and covered the phone with his hand.

"That's not what I meant."

Karin sighed before plastering on a fake smile. "Well then, Naruto, what did you mean?"

Naruto narrowed his eyes at her. "You owe me an explanation."

Karin was immediately defensive. "I don't owe you anything."

Naruto ignored her and continued with his interrogation. "Who were those guys? How do you know them? And what was their problem with me?"

Karin rubbed her temples. "They're my friends. Beyond that, you don't need to know anything."

Naruto huffed before collapsing in his seat. He continued to stare at Karin, trying to decide how best to get the information he wanted from her. He finally asked his next question, something that had been bothering him ever since last night.

"Why didn't Sasuke want me there?"

Karin's flinch didn't go unnoticed by Naruto. His curiosity peaked, he asked his question again when Karin didn't respond.

Karin fidgeted with her pen before she slammed it down on the desk. "Because Sasuke has issues."

Naruto snorted. "That's it? 'Sauske has issues'? Please, I only met the guy for five minutes and I could have told you that. Tell me something I don't know."

Karin eyed Naruto before speaking, slowly as if she was still thinking about what she was saying. "Sasuke is very protective of what he believes is his."

Naruto's scowl depend. "Karin, that makes no sense. I've never met the guy before."

Karin stood from her seat and turned quickly from Naruto. Naruto stood and followed her to the end of the cubicles before Karin broke out into a run. Naruto caught her before she went into the girls' bathroom. He was about to ask her what the Hell she was doing when she spoke, angrily. "Are you sure?"

"What? Am I sure about what?"

"Are you sure that you've never met him before?"

Naruto thought. He was positive. He would have remembered that man from anywhere. Before he could confirm that he was sure, she spoke again.

"Naruto, please. I can't say anything more. I've been given orders and I can't disobey him again."

"Whose orders? Sasuke's? Who is he?"

"I _can't_, Naruto."

Karin sounded genuinely afraid. The hairs on Naruto's arms were standing up again. "Why does he scare you? Has he hurt you?"

Karin shook her head. "No, Sasuke would never. But he has something that I want. And if I disobey him again, I'll never get it. So, I'm sorry that I can't tell you anything else, but there's nothing you can do that will make me talk. I've already said and done more than I should have."

Naruto sighed before dropping her arm. He was enough of a salesman to know that pushing her anymore right now would not lead to a result in his favor. He decided to give her space, let her breathe, before asking his questions again. He also decided that putting her through a little bit of a guilt trip wouldn't hurt either. So, he pouted one last time at her before turning and heading back to his desk. Karin followed behind him.

By lunch, he was still ignoring her. She had tried to talk to him, several times, but he would always pick up the phone and make his next call. He had already finished the calls he was supposed to make that day and made good progress on the second shift's calls as well. He had never been so productive before. The second shift was going to have a heart attack.

He was in the break room eating his lunch (peanut butter on stale bread, because he still had three days until he got paid) when Karin walked in. He continued to ignore her, just as he had since their conversation that morning. He ignored her as she went to one of the cupboards, rustled around with what Naruto assumed was her lunch, and used the microwave. He continued to ignore her when everything went quite, even though every fiber in his body was begging him to see what she was doing. He continued to ignore her as she sat down across from him. Unfortunately, his nose recognized the smell of what she was holding. His stomach growled.

Karin grinned before pushing the cup ramen closer to him. "A peace offering."

Naruto was torn. He wanted to continue to ignore her, but she had ramen! He debated with himself for a full second before he reached out towards the ramen. "Thanks."

Karin smiled at him while he inhaled his ramen. When he was finished, she reached out and laid her hand on his arm. "Look, Naruto. I know that you're frustrated and confused." Naruto snorted at the understatement. "And I agree, it's not fair. That's why I wanted you to go to that club." Naruto tilted his head in silent question and Karin continued. "Sasuke is very stubborn. Almost as much as you. He likes to deny himself the things that he wants in the belief that it makes him strong."

Naruto scowled. Faintly his chest started to hurt. "That's stupid."

Karin nodded. "I agree. Which is why he needed the proper motivation. After seeing you, I don't think he'll be able to hold out much longer. I think you'll get your answers soon, so…" Karin inhaled, held her breath a heart beat, then exhaled sharply. "…so just hold on, Naruto."

Naruto was feeling dizzy. "Karin…"

Karin shook her head. "Nope, sorry Naruto. That's all that your guilt trip will get from me." She grinned at his wide eyes before her face went serious again. "Just hold on, Naruto. It's possible that someone is just as lonely as you." And then Karin turned and walked out the door, leaving Naruto to stare at the bottom of his ramen cup.

* * *

Karin had already left for the day. She had finished her calls before saying she had to run a few errands for a friend. 'Sasuke?' Naruto had asked. Karin had smiled before touching his arm on her way out. Naruto had sighed before deciding to finish the page he was on before he went home. His apartment was beginning to be dead depressing, and he wanted to avoid it for a little longer.

Naruto's last call was an elderly lady who was irate when she found out Naruto's occupation.

"Just who do you think you are that you can call people up and harass them? You should be ashamed of yourself!" And then she hung up.

Naruto was left holding the phone to his ear. It was a good question. Who was he? An orphan with a made up name. No past, and from where Naruto was sitting, no future. He knew that she hadn't meant it that way, but it still hurt.

On autopilot, Naruto left the office and caught the metro train. Exhausted emotionally, he leaned his head against the window and was asleep in seconds.

* * *

Naruto was running. He didn't know where he was running from or what he was running to. Black shadows danced on the grey stone of the corridor. He was turning a corner when he slipped and fell. He felt something sticky on his hand and brought it to his face.

'_I'm bleeding,'_ he thought. But then he looked down. He was kneeling in a pool of blood. It was a sticky dark burgundy and had already started to set. Naruto scrambled backwards like a crab until his back hit the wall. That was a lot of blood. Naruto didn't think anyone could survive loosing that much blood. He was feeling the bile crawl up his throat when a dark voice interrupted his panic.

"You do not belong here." Crimson eyes emerged from the shadows. Followed by blood stained lips.

* * *

Naruto jerked awake to see a face looming over him. He screamed.

"Whoa! Buddy, chill out!" Naruto stopped screaming and looked at the man. It was the train conductor. Naruto looked at his watch. It was midnight.

"Are you ok?" the man asked. Naruto nodded shakily. The man eyed him before saying slowly, "Well, this is my last stop. You're going to have to get off here." Naruto nodded again and stood up. He leaned heavily against the wall before stepping out onto the platform. "Hey Buddy, you don't look so good. Can I call someone for you?"

Naruto paused before he looked back at the man. "No, there's no one." He then turned and headed towards the entrance of the station.

* * *

Naruto knew where he was. He was miles from his apartment, but he knew these streets like the back of his hand. He should; he had grown up here.

He was standing in front of the orphanage that had been his home for so many years and couldn't help the bitter chuckle that came from his throat. The windows and doors were boarded up and foreclosure sign was tapped to the door. '_I don't even have this anymore.'_

Naruto stood facing the four-story building for what seemed like forever before he walked to the front door, grasped one of the boards, and started pulling. He struggled for a bit before the board finally gave with a loud crack. He worked three more of the boards off before he could finally squeeze through and enter the once largely populated orphanage.

He found himself climbing the stairs, leaving finger trails in the dust all the way up the banister. He remembered the last time he had walked down these stairs. He had vowed that he would never come back. Naruto pursed his lips together to stop the quivering; fate had a funny way of turning you into a liar.

The door to his old bedroom was open. The boards on the window in this room already seemed to be taken down and the glass had been knocked out. Enough moonlight shone in that Naruto could clearly see the room. He had shared this room with five other boys, but the three bunk beds had already been cleared out leaving a vast empty room. Naruto walked to the far corner of the room before he slid down the wall, wrapping his arms around himself. This had been his corner. The corner where he had imagined his family. Leaning his head against his knees, Naruto wondered if he would ever be able to leave this corner again.

"What are you doing here?"

Naruto's head shot up. He would recognize that condescending tone anywhere.

"Sasuke! What are you doing here?"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at Naruto's outburst. "I was out for a stroll when I noticed you breaking and entering. I believe that is illegal."

"So's stalking, you freak." Sasuke seemed amused by Naruto's reply. He pushed off from where he was leaning against the wall by the window to walk closer to Naruto.

"If I were stalking you, Uzumaki Naruto, you would not notice until it was too late."

Naruto felt vulnerable with Sasuke standing over him, so he stood and scowled at the man. "What's that supposed to mean? And how do you know my name?"

Sasuke waved his hand as if brushing Naruto's questions aside. "You did not answer my question. That is very rude of you. What are you doing here?"

Naruto huffed and crossed his arms. "Not that it's any of your business, but I grew up here."

"You are an orphan." It was a statement, but Naruto answered as if it was a question.

"No, my wonderful parents thought it'd be nice for me to come and play with all the other kids here."

"Sarcasm does not suit you." And that was a reprimand, but Naruto didn't check his behavior.

"Well, you bring out the best in me."

Sasuke eyed Naruto before taking a few steps back and leaning against the wall again. Naruto relaxed a little with the extra space separating them. Sasuke didn't let that go unnoticed.

"I make you uneasy." Naruto nodded, but couldn't think of anything else to say. He leaned back against the wall and stared back at Sasuke. Sasuke continued to observe him before breaking his gaze to look across the room. "It is very late for you to be out. And this is a bad neighborhood to be wondering around in. It is very dangerous."

"You're wondering around in this neighborhood," Naruto shot back.

Sasuke turned to him again and allowed a slow smirk to stretch across his lips. Naruto had a flash back of the dream he had on the train. "Exactly."

Naruto shivered. Sasuke adverted his gaze again and closed his eyes. He was waiting for an answer, Naruto realized. He thought hard before answering.

"I spoke to this woman on the phone today." Sasuke tilted his head to show he was listening, but did not open his eyes. Naruto itched to know if they were still black. "She asked me who I was."

"And what did you tell her?"

"Nothing."

"You said nothing or you told her you were nothing?"

Naruto's jaw dropped. "What kind of question is that?" He was yelling again, but he found himself not caring.

Sasuke still didn't move, still didn't open his eyes. "Well?"

"She hung up before I could answer!" Naruto sounded desperate, even to himself. Desperate to prove that he wasn't 'nothing'.

Sasuke finally opened his eyes, but kept them on the door. "And if she had not hung up, what would you have said?"

Naruto thought. "I would have told her that I was only doing my job and that I wasn't meaning to harass her."

Sasuke turned to face him. "That does not answer her question, Naruto."

Naruto started to pace. "It was a rhetorical question. She didn't expect my life story."

Sasuke eyed the pacing man. "Then who are you, Naruto?"

Naruto stilled. He was standing across from Sasuke. "You know my name."

Sasuke nodded. "Yes. I know your name and that you are an orphan. But that does not tell me who you are. So, who are you, Naruto?" Naruto started to shake his head, but then stopped half way.

"I don't know." Sasuke nodded like this was the correct answer before closing his eyes again.

"Why are you here, Naruto?" Naruto felt defensive again. He crossed the room to stand in front of the man.

"Why are _you _here, Sasuke?" Sasuke scowled, but apparently decided to answer.

"Karin is a bitch." The reply took Naruto off guard.

"What does she have to do with anything?" Sasuke opened his eyes to look at Naruto.

"She knowingly exploited my weakness. She flaunted you in front of me. Allowed me to get close to you. Your scent has permeated my senses. Your very smell lingers on my tongue. How am I to leave you alone now?"

Naruto swallowed, hard. The answer made him dizzy and he wanted to leave. But this was his room, and he would not give it up so easily. He turned to Sasuke's side and leaned against the open window. The cool breeze felt good against his face and he decided to answer Sasuke's question.

"I wanted something real." Beside him, he heard Sasuke shift, but he didn't turn to look at him. "I wanted to see something real from my past. Something that could define me." Naruto swallowed again, choking back tears that he had sworn not to cry. He looked down at his hands clutching at the window sill. "But, I don't even have the orphanage any more."

"Your answers were never here to begin with," Sasuke said. Naruto refused to look at him or answer. He heard Sasuke sigh. "Go home, Naruto."

Naruto shook his head. "I don't have a home."

"You do. You live in a tiny apartment 12 miles west of here." Naruto wanted to ask how Sasuke knew that, but decided he didn't really want to know.

"No, home is where the heart is." Naruto felt cool, strong hands on his shoulders before he was turned to face Sasuke. He stubbornly looked straight ahead, refusing to look up to see Sasuke's face. But then Sasuke's hand was under his chin, forcing his head up.

"Then where is your heart?"

Naruto stumbled back and Sasuke let him go. He eyed the man before he turned to the door and went out into the hallway. Half way to the stairs, he turned back. He didn't know why, but he didn't want to look weak in front of this man. He wanted to tell him that he wasn't running away, that he knew who he was, that he never bought into that sentimental crap anyway.

Naruto stood in the doorway to his old room. The moonlight shone brightly through the broken window, allowing him to view the entire vast, empty room.

Sasuke wasn't there.

* * *

Naruto was distracted. He had stared blankly and that empty room before turning and running from the abandoned orphanage. His hallucinations had never been that real before and the space between his shoulder blades had been itching ever since he realized he was alone in that place.

But it had felt so real. Sasuke's voice, his hands, his coal black eyes staring into his soul. And he had not been dreaming. He had not been imagining. He had been awake and hyper aware of the other man. A man who had seemingly vanished.

'_People don't vanish.'_ Naruto looked at his watch. It was 3 AM. He must be tired.

He didn't notice the man following behind him. He did, however, notice when that man grabbed his hair and threw him into a passing alley. He also couldn't help to notice that the man was holding a gun in his face.

"Give me your money and I might let you live!"

Naruto turned pale. "I don't have any money."

The man pushed the barrel of the gun into Naruto's forehead. "Do you think I'm stupid? Hand over all of your money. Now!"

"I'm not lying." Naruto dug out his wallet and opened it so the thief could see. "All I have is a metro pass."

The man hit Naruto on the head. Naruto collapsed with a cry before looking back up at the man.

"Then you've hidden it somewhere else. Like your socks. I'm gonna count to three. And then I'm going to search your dead body."

"Please! I'm not lying to you. I don't have any money!"

"One."

"I'll let you search me yourself! You don't have to kill me!"

"Two."

"Someone please help me!"

"Three."

There was a gun shot and Naruto squeezed his eyes closed and waited for the pain that was death. It never came. He cautiously opened his eyes to look at his attacker, but all he saw was black.

'_Am I dead?'_

No sooner had he thought it than he heard strangled yells and a gasping gurgling sound. The black, Naruto realized, was the back of someone's coat. Someone pale with black spiky hair. Sasuke. He was holding the man close to him, almost in an embrace. The man was struggling against him, hitting him with his fists, but Sasuke wasn't letting go.

"S-S-Sasuke," Naruto stuttered out. Sasuke finally let go of the man, who dropped limply to the ground. His head lolled to the side and Naruto was staring in to lifeless eyes. Sasuke shifted, and then Naruto saw it. The horrible gashing wound on the man's throat. It was still oozing out blood, but not nearly enough to be normal.

In shock, Naruto crawled forward towards the man. He remembered a school course in first aid. '_Apply pressure to the wound.' _Numbly, Naruto put both hands firmly over the wound on the man's throat.

"Sasuke, call 9-1-1. He needs to see a doctor. He's lost a lot of blood."

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sasuke kneel beside him. "Naruto. He is already dead."

"N-no. He can't be. He just needs to get to the hospital." The man was rapidly cooling, even under Naruto's hands. Sasuke reached forward his own hand and wrapped it carefully around Naruto's wrist. He gently removed Naruto's hands from the corpse.

"Let go, Naruto. He is dead. His heart has already stopped beating."

Naruto looked down at his own hands. They were covered in blood. He leaned to the side and puked.

Sasuke's hand was on his back, but Naruto shoved him off. "You killed him!"

"He was going to kill you! What would you have me do?"

"Not kill him! He's dead!" Naruto's voice sounded hysterical, even to his own ears. He dry heaved one last time before wiping his mouth on the back of his sleeve. Finally, he turned to face Sasuke.

He came first face-to-face with Sasuke's chest where a bullet wound was healing over his heart. There was no blood, simply a black hole where the bullet had entered. He watched as the fatal wound stitched itself over until there was nothing but perfect pale skin. He allowed his eyes to drift up to Sasuke's face. His scream struggled to escape his throat, but his mouth clamped firmly down on it.

Sasuke's once black eyes were red. The red from his nightmares. It perfectly matched the blood on Sasuke's lips and dripping down his chin. Noticing Naruto's gaze, Sasuke licked his lips in a vain attempt to remove the accusing blood from sight. It failed, and Naruto saw instead two elongated canines. '_Fangs,'_ he thought. He felt like puking again.

Instead, he fell back on his behind and scrambled backwards from Sasuke. His back hit a dumpster, making a loud clanging sound. Sasuke watched him carefully before standing slowly. Naruto stood as well and looked to the back of the alley. Dead-end. He turned back to see if there was another way to escape, but there was Sasuke, standing right before him. Naruto couldn't help the scream that tore from his throat.

Sasuke clamped a hand over Naruto's mouth. "Quiet, Naruto." His eyes narrowed. "You would not want anyone else to come upon us and get hurt, would you?"

Naruto stopped screaming and shook his head quickly. Satisfied, he removed his hand from Naruto's mouth and pressed his thumb against the wound on Naruto's head from where the man had hit him. "You are injured."

"Who are you?" The question came out breathy.

Sasuke eyed him before replying. "Uchiha Sasuke of the Uchiha coven." Naruto strangled back his whimper. "But that is not the question you wish to ask me."

Naruto's eyes remained fixed on the red stained fangs while Sasuke spoke. Sasuke was right. That wasn't the question he wanted to ask, but he was afraid of the answer of the one he did. He moved slightly to his right, but Sasuke's arm was there, blocking his escape. Looking closer to the mouth of the ally, he could see the body of the man and the terrible wound on his throat. Naruto clenched his bloody fists, reminded himself he wasn't afraid of anything, and, eyes still on the corpse, asked his question. "What are you?"

And then there was Sasuke's face blocking his view. His eyes were still red and seemed to be spinning. There were still drops of blood on his chin. "Focus only on me, Naruto." His head tilted slightly back in a haughty manor before saying, "I am a vampire." He said it so matter of fact, as if he were telling Naruto the time. Naruto tried to turn to run to the left, but Sasuke blocked his way with his body. Naruto shivered and pressed his back firmly back into the dumpster. If he was going to die, he was going to face his death head on.

"So, are you going to kill me now?"

"Why would I save your life only to kill you?" Sasuke scoffed. "Though, I am afraid it puts us in a slight predicament."

"I won't tell anyone," Naruto was quick to say. Sasuke shook his head.

"I am afraid that that is not the problem. I told you in your orphanage, I cannot leave you alone now that I have come so close to you." Naruto gasped. It wasn't a hallucination! "And now that I have saved you from death, every instinct in my body is telling me not to let you go." Sasuke growled low in his throat and Naruto could feel the vibration through his chest. "You are mine now, Naruto."

Naruto's body immediately went into self-preservation mode. In school, he had learned about the Flight, Fight, or Freeze response to danger. Naruto was already frozen, and it didn't seem to be getting him anywhere. He also knew that there was no way he could fight against this man. So that left flight.

Naruto ducked under Sasuke's arm and ran. He jumped over the corpse and back onto the street. He could hear Sasuke running behind him, but he didn't dare look over his shoulder. He knew that there was a police station three blocks from here. He didn't know if they could help him, but he thought it would be worth a try. He was about to turn right onto the street to lead him there when he felt Sasuke catch up with him to his right. He veered to avoid the man, turning away from the police station. Maybe he could loop around.

Seven blocks later, and Sasuke and forced him to veer off his course three times. _'He's toying with me!'_ Naruto thought. He stopped. Uzumaki Naruto would not be toyed with like a mouse! But he felt a shove in his back and his exhausted body made the decision for him. He started running again.

Another sixteen blocks and Naruto hadn't felt or seen Sasuke. He stopped running to catch his breath. He turned to look behind him. The streets were empty. He was almost on the outskirts of the town. This city was bordered by a thick forest. As children, they had scared each other with monster stories about the forest and then dared each other to take steps into the woods. It was here, standing on the edge between the city and nature that Naruto realized that Sasuke hadn't been toying with him. He had been herding him. Like a sheep to slaughter.

Naruto glanced at his watch. It was 5:07. Sunrise was in less than half an hour. If Sasuke was really a vampire, if Naruto could last until then, he'd be safe. He eyed the forest once more before turning back to the city. But Sasuke was there, blocking his way. The man seemed calm. He had since cleared his face of blood and his eyes were back to black. But the bullet hole in his shirt was too much of a reminder to Naruto of what had happened. Sasuke took a step forward.

"What do you want from me?" Naruto cried out as he took a step back.

Sasuke remained silent and took another step forward. Naruto turned and ran into the forest. '_Just make it until dawn.'_ There was a crack of a branch to his left, and so he turned to his right. They played their cat and mouse game deeper and deeper into the forest. Naruto finally tripped over the root of a tree and went sprawling on the forest floor. He tried to stand, but his exhausted body gave out from underneath him. He rolled, gasping for breath, on to his back to ease the pressure off of his starved lungs. As blackness seeped in from the corners of his vision, he felt the sun finally rising above the horizon.

'_I made it,'_ he thought as he fell into unconsciousness.

* * *

He was floating in the ocean. He could feel the waves lapping at his sides and the sun's heat burning his face. For once, he felt completely relaxed. He waved his arms slightly through the water to keep himself afloat. He raised his right hand up out of the water and over his face. Opening his eyes, he used his hand to block out the sun from stinging his eyes.

Blood dripped down his arm. Startled, he sunk a little bit out of his floating posture and started to tread water. No, not water. Blood. He was swimming in a sea of blood with no land in sight. Suddenly, a hand was grasping his ankle, pulling him beneath the surface. His startled yell was choked as blood rushed into his open mouth. He tried to spit it out, but in doing so, he inhaled blood into his lungs. He was drowning, struggling against the hold on him, trying to break the surface, but the hand on his ankle kept dragging him down. Opening his eyes, all he could see was crimson everywhere, including set in a pale face.

"You are mine."

* * *

For the second time, Naruto woke gasping for breath. His breath caught in his throat, however, when all that Naruto could see was red. He was surrounded by it. For a moment, Naruto thought that he was still caught in his dream before he felt the smooth texture of silk on his hands.

Squashing his panic, he forced himself to focus. He wasn't drowning in a sea of blood. He was lying in a huge canopy bed with silk sheets and velvet curtains, both of which were a deep scarlet. This was most certainly not his apartment. He debated with himself the value of knowing where he was exactly before hesitatingly crawling to the edge of the bed and parting the velvet curtains.

A deep voice as smooth as the velvet curtains surrounding him greeted him. Naruto choked back a sob of terror.

"Good evening, Naruto. I am glad you are finally awake."


	4. Chapter 3: Transition Phase

**So, as you may have noticed, I'm not big on the entire "Author's Note" thing, mostly because so far I've had nothing to say. But, I was looking at my story's traffic the other day and noticed something...odd. Nearly 400 individual people have read my ramblings. And while I'm thrilled, only 2 of those have reviewed. Please understand, I'm not ungrateful by any means. I love my two lonely little reviews. They make me happy. **

**So, I would greatly appreciate some form of feedback, negative or positive. Something like "This is bizarre" or "I don't understand your writing style at all." I would even enjoy a "Dear Lord you need professional help!" to let me know I'm on the right track.**

**In conclusion, review? Please?**

* * *

**Chapter 3- Transition Phase**

Naruto stared in shock at Sasuke's smug face before closing the canopy curtain. He crawled backwards on the bed, slowly so as not to make any sound, and pressed his back into the headboard. He maneuvered the pillows to make a semi fort and pulled the blankets up to his chin. '_Not that a pillow fort will be able to stop a monster,'_ he thought. He felt like he was five again, waiting for an attack from the monster under his bed.

Outside of his sanctuary, there were no sounds. No rustling of clothes, no squeaking of floor boards, nothing. Naruto was beginning to wonder if he was still dreaming.

A pale, tapered hand finally emerged through the slit in the curtain and grasped the edges. The sound of metal on metal grated Naruto's ears as the curtains were pulled back. Sasuke was walking around the edge of the bed, pulling the curtain open behind him. Finally, he let go of the curtain and leaned against one of the bedposts, crossing his arms and simply observing Naruto.

Naruto, for his part, may or may not have squeaked. He burrowed himself further in the bed and pulled a pillow in front of him, like a shield. It wouldn't shield him from much, but Naruto was willing to take what he could get.

A long five minutes passed and neither of them moved or spoke. Naruto, finally, fidgeted. With Sasuke not attacking, the adrenalin was leaving his body, leaving his muscles aching. He looked more closely at his capture. His eyes were black, not the fearsome red of his nightmares. There were no claws at the end of long fingers, and no fangs pulling at his lips. _'But there could be fangs.'_ Naruto tended to be a bit slow, but he wasn't willing to risk his life on the chance that he had imagined last night. Sasuke's posture was relaxed, as if telling Naruto that he was no threat to him. Maybe, Naruto had misunderstood. Maybe…

"So…can I go home now?" It was worth a shot.

Sasuke snorted delicately. "You are home. This is your home now."

Naruto's jaw dropped. No, he understood the situation. He pointed a shaking finger at Sasuke. "You kidnapped me!" Sasuke had the audacity to shrug. "You won't get away with this!"

Sasuke smirked. "Who will report you missing?"

"Karin." The reply was out of Naruto's mouth before he could stop and consider the question. As soon as he saw Sasuke's smirk widen, he knew that Karin wouldn't be reporting him missing. She probably already new that he was here. Probably, Naruto thought bitterly, helped Sasuke kidnap him.

"My boss. When I don't show up for work today he'll…" he was cut off by Sasuke shaking his head.

"I am sorry, but Karin was kind enough to take in your letter of resignation to your boss this morning. You apparently received a better job else where. Your boss was remarkably quite happy for you and wishes you all the best."

Naruto's mouth went dry. "My landlord then, when I don't pay the rent."

"I personally went by your apartment earlier this evening to collect your meager belongings and to inform your landlord that his tenant was…"he paused and inclined his head every so slightly towards Naruto. "…moving in with a friend. The man seemed happy that you had a friend at all, and so was more than willing to break your lease."

"You…" but Naruto was speechless. He racked his brain trying to think of someone, anyone, who would miss him, report him missing, but he was coming up blank. He didn't know which was worse- that there was no one to save him or that he was stuck here with a monster.

Sasuke let his smirk drop as he realized the conclusion that Naruto had come to. He broke his stare and turned away to lean against the far wall. He kept his gaze adverted as he spoke. "There will, of course, be rules that you must follow while you are here."

Naruto whimpered. Sasuke took that as a sign to continue.

"You will be allowed free reign of this house. You may go anywhere that you please, day or night. You will not be allowed outside, however, except at night and always with an escort." Sasuke paused and turned to Naruto to impress upon him the importance of that last rule. "It would be unwise, Naruto, for you to wonder alone in vampire country. While you are in my house, you are under my protection. None will hurt you here, and my coven is under strict orders. Outside, however, you are fair game."

Did that mean that there were more of them? Naruto remembered his night at the club, the lines of stoic, beautiful people, and finally, finally, realized where they were taking those other people. He swallowed. Where he had been taken when Sasuke interfered.

Sasuke let him digest what he had been told before continuing. "My coven will provide you with anything you desire. Make a request of any of them and they will give it to you. We are not accustomed to the living walking among us, and so we may over look something. We are only basing our knowledge of your necessities off of hazy memories of our past. Karin," Naruto flinched at the name, "has gone shopping for you. She has stocked the kitchen with food she has assured me that you will like. She also went clothes shopping as your selection was," he inclined his head to Naruto's orange crate, confirming that he had cleared out his apartment, "lacking. She tried to stay in the same styles and color scheme as what you already owned, but if there is something you would like, let her know."

Naruto's mind was reeling. It sounded almost as if he was a guest, rather than a prisoner. He had to keep reminding himself of the terror that he felt the night before. Sasuke was analyzing him before he seemed to come to a conclusion.

"And now I believe that we have hit a wall. I do not wish to overwhelm you on your first night. I will leave you now."

Sasuke turned and headed towards the door. He stopped with his hand on the doorknob before he turned to speak over his shoulder.

"For what it is worth, I am sorry for what happened in the alley. It was a knee jerk reaction."

Naruto's jaw dropped. "Your 'knee jerk reaction' is to rip someone's throat out?"

Sasuke turned to face him completely. "Yes. Though usually, I have much better control over my instincts. You seem to override my control."

Before Naruto could think of a reply, Sasuke was out the door.

* * *

Naruto didn't dare close his eyes for the rest of the night. He remained in his awkward position squeezed between the mattress and the headboard. Every once in a while, he would hear voices in the hallway outside of his door. By the time the sun rose, Naruto was exhausted. He fell asleep still propped up behind his pillow fort.

He woke a couple of hours before sunset to the sound of his stomach growling. He weighed his options before deciding that if he was going to die a horribly brutal death, he'd die on a full stomach. He opened the door to his room carefully. There were no sounds at all. But now he was faced with a worse problem. He had no idea where the kitchen was! And he just knew he was going to get lost. He twitched before closing the door and backing up into the room.

Instead, he decided to explore his new room. Luckily, there was a bathroom attached to his room.

He paced from one end of the room to the other. It took him 23.6 seconds. This room itself was more than twice the size of his own tiny apartment. And that was before he opened the walk in closet. His clothes had been removed from his orange crate and already hung up. There were several outfits that he didn't recognize as well. Those must be the clothes Karin bought him.

He sighed before collapsing face down on the bed. He might as well get some more sleep. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

"Are you going on a hunger strike?"

Naruto shot up in bed. He hadn't realized he had fallen asleep. It took a moment for his mind to wake up enough to realize that he had been spoken to. He turned around to face the person.

"Because if you are, I'd be glad to force feed you." Naruto recognized that creepy grin. He sorted through his drunken memories to find a name.

"Kiba."

And there was that creepy widening of the grin, just like Naruto remembered.

"That's right. Glad to see that you remember me. Now then, are you going to answer my question?"

Naruto tried to remember what question he was asked. "No, I'm not on a hunger strike. I just…I didn't…um…"

"You didn't feel like going out into a house of vampires?" Naruto flinched. "Well, you could have gotten out during the day. It's true we sleep at daytime."

"I was worried that I'd get lost and wouldn't be able to find my way back. Is everyone in this house a…," Naruto hesitated. "…a vampire?"

Kiba nodded. "Yup, everyone. Well, except for Karin, but that's not for lack of trying. She and Suigetsu have been trying to convince Sasuke to let Suigetsu change her for a while now, but he's been holding out. Probably because he needed someone to watch over you during the day. Now that you're here, he probably won't have an excuse to hold out for much longer. Come on, I'll show you the way to the kitchen."

Kiba moved closer to the door, but Naruto stayed sitting on the bed. That must be what Sasuke had that Karin wanted. Wait, if everyone in the house was a vampire, than did that mean that Kiba was too? Naruto eyed the man carefully. Yup, he could see that. Despite that knowledge, though, he didn't seem nearly as scary as Sasuke.

Then there was Kiba's face in his. "Look, if you don't come willingly, I'm going to have to force you. In your best interest, of course. And if I touch you, Sasuke may just rip my head off. Literally." Naruto slid sideways off of the bed. Kiba's grin reemerged. "Wonderful! Now, let's go get you something to eat." Kiba walked towards the door again and held it open for Naruto.

Naruto was trying to keep track of the turns Kiba took to get them to the kitchen, but he finally gave up.

"Kiba? You made it sound like Sasuke was in charge or something." Kiba nodded.

"Yup, he is. It's like how in wolf packs, there's an alpha wolf, yea? Well, in this coven, Sasuke's the alpha wolf."

His curiosity was peaked. "Why Sasuke?"

"Well, this is his coven. He's the oldest. And as vampires age, they become stronger. So, since Sasuke's the oldest, he's also the strongest. Also, everyone in this coven is only here because of him."

"So, he turned all of you?"

Kiba shook his head. "No. In fact, there's only one of us that he turned, and even then, it was only partially. Ah, here we are. Karin bought a ton of food, so hopefully you'll be able to find something you like."

The kitchen was relatively smaller than what he thought it would be. But, it would make sense. No one else in this house would be using it, except maybe Karin. He walked to the cabinet and opened it before he smiled. It was full of ramen. Karin's peace offering.

He fixed a cup before sitting down at the table across from Kiba. "So, how does one only partially turn into a vampire?"

"Well, he's a full vampire. But, I think that Sasuke had to have help to turn him. It was pretty soon after Sasuke was turned and that was centuries ago. I think that Sasuke was too young and too weak at the time. But I'm not sure. That was before my time."

Naruto slurped some of his ramen before he asked his next question. "So, how is everyone else here because of Sasuke?"

Kiba sighed. "Well, that's all really complicated. See, Sasuke had an older brother. He was Sasuke's sire. Probably half of the turned here were turned either by Itachi or by a fledgling of Itachi's. When Itachi was…removed, it was just Sasuke left. He held the coven together. He also ended up picking up strays- those from other covens or those that didn't have a coven. Like me. Due to certain circumstances, I was no longer welcome in my birth coven. Sasuke took me in. Or, once the Uchiha coven became one of the most influential covens, other covens sent ambassadors in order to strike up alliances. Like the Hyuga coven. They decided to send someone named Hinata from their coven to be a member of this coven in the hopes that an alliance would be formed."

"And she just left her coven to come here? Can you just switch covens like that?"

"Not usually, no. Covens are generally for life. But, the Hyuga coven has it's own special brand of crazy. Hinata was a bit too gentle for their coven. So, when they heard that the Uchiha coven's a no-kill coven, they figured it'd be a good match. And, lucky us, we got two Hyugas for the price of one. Neji made it very clear that wherever Hinata went, he would too."

Naruto digested that a bit. "A no-kill coven?"

Kiba laughed. "Well, we try. Sometimes we get a bit carried away. It's hard, and we have troubles satiating our hunger, but what can you do? Sasuke has given us orders, and so we obey."

He knew he was going to regret asking, but his curiosity had been peaked. "So, how do you eat?"

Kiba looked at him out of the corner of his eye. "Well, we all have different tactics, I suppose, depending on our own strengths. The younger ones, like me, just make sure our prey is very, very drunk. If they pass out, then there's no chance that they'll remember what happened. Some of the elders have mastered the ability to slightly mesmerize their prey so they don't notice what's happening. Either way, it means that we have to take blood from three or four different people, as opposed to one, and we have to feed more often, every other night as opposed to once a week."

"And there's no side-effects?"

"Well, a temporary case of anemia, but other than that, no. Are you done?" Naruto looked up from finishing his twelfth cup and nodded. "Then let's go introduce you. Everyone from the other house came over to see you."

The lid of the trash can clattered closed and Naruto turned to face Kiba. "Other house?"

Kiba nodded and headed out the door. "A couple decades ago, our coven became too large to fit into this house. Sasuke decided that he would split it half and send the other half into a house on the other side of the territory. That way, we can control a larger territory more efficiently. Sasuke stayed here, in the first house."

"Why didn't he just add on?" That seemed the most logical move to Naruto.

"Well, when too many vampires are put into a confined space with each other for extended amounts of time, fights start to break out. It's not pretty. If we're in two different houses, even if it's just during the day, we all have a little more space to breathe. Most of us come over during the night though. Especially now that you're here!" Kiba turned to grin widely at Naruto. Naruto supposed that was supposed to be a compliment. Knowing that so many vampires were interested in him, though, made him a little uneasy.

"So, um, which house do you stay in?"

Kiba puffed his chest out in pride. "I am honored to live in the second house. Sasuke only puts the people he trusts in that house."

That really didn't make sense. He would have put the people he trusted close to him. "Why does he do that?"

Kiba shot him a grin. "Have you heard of the phrase 'Keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer'? If he put all the people he didn't trust in a house away from his supervision, they'd more than likely rebel against him."

Well, put like that it made sense. He thought about all he had been told before voicing his next question. "But why does he keep people he doesn't trust in his coven?"

Kiba frowned a bit before he answered. "Well, the people he doesn't trust are those left over from when Itachi was still here. They are either his fledglings or the fledglings of his fledglings. When Itachi was in charge, he led the coven into some of the worst blood baths of history. They fed unchecked, wiping out entire villages. I suppose Sasuke feels responsible for them. If he were to make them leave and they got into their old tricks again, he would feel responsible for the trouble they would cause. And, he doesn't want to risk them finding Itachi, because that'd be really, really bad. And we all know how Sasuke feels about killing."

Naruto pouted. He supposed that made sense too. He was trying so hard to find some illogical part of the this entire fiasco. And what was worse, Sasuke was starting to sound like a good guy. Naruto had to remind himself of the terror he felt the past couple of days to hold onto his anger at him.

They entered what looked to be a large lounge. The seats were large and overstuffed and Naruto knew that this was were a majority of the time was spent for the occupants of the household. Of course, having the occupants of the household all staring at him as he entered was a big clue as well.

The entire room had stiffened as he had walked in, but now everyone was relaxed back into their seats and looking away from him. Well, everyone but a weird looking guy who seemed to be bouncing in his seat. Naruto assumed that their behavior was done to try and put him at ease. As if! He was standing in a room full of vampires! He thought he might be sick.

Kiba was walking towards the group. Naruto followed, but only because he knew that Kiba would drag him there anyway.

"So, whirlwind introduction time. Everyone, you already know who this is." Grins, nods, and a few winces were the answer. Kiba turned to Naruto. "Naruto, everyone here right now is from the second house, so Sasuke trusts them. So it's okay to associate with them. If ever you need an escort, ask one of them." Naruto nodded and Kiba turned back to the group. "So, who wants to introduce themselves first?"

The guy bouncing in his chair immediately shot up and ran over to Naruto. Naruto took a step back, but the guy was already in front of him, shaking his hand rather enthusiastically.

"Naruto! I am Rock Lee! It is most wonderful to finally be able to meet you!" Lee's head fell forward and Naruto noticed that someone had whacked him on the back of his head.

"Lee, you idiot. Stop shaking his hand. You're going to hurt him and you're scaring him." Lee stopped shaking his hand immediately.

"My friend! I apologize for my behavior. Your youthfulness overwhelmed me and I forgot the rules. As punishment I will do 100 laps around the house. On my hands!" And with that, Lee was gone.

Naruto was left standing, wide eyed and with an aching arm. "Uh, sure?" Kiba snorted. The woman who had smacked Lee was standing in front of Naruto now, shaking her head.

"Please excuse him, Naruto. He gets a little excited." She extended her hand and waited for Naruto to take it. She shook it much more gently than Lee had. "I'm Tenten." She was pretty, Naruto decided. She looked elegant, and foreign. She smiled. "If you'll excuse me, I should probably go stop Lee before he annoys Sasuke any more." With that she followed the path the Lee had taken. Naruto looked back at Kiba and raised an eyebrow in question. Kiba shrugged.

"Lee was sent here by his sire, some freak named Guy. Lee said that Guy sent him here to help Sasuke and to train to become stronger so that he can better help people. Tenten came here from China, alone, on a spiritual exploration. We don't know much about her, but we don't think that she had a very good first couple of years. Sasuke offered her a home where she could be herself, and she's stayed ever since. Anyway, next?"

Another man stood and smiled warmly at Naruto. He had a scar running across the bridge of his nose, but it did not make him look fearsome at all. Naruto hesitatingly smiled back at the man. He had a feeling that they'd be friends.

"Naruto, my name is Iruka. It's a pleasure to meet you. I hope you will be very happy here." The man sat down, but continued to smile at Naruto.

"Iruka's the youngest here. His sire is the man I was telling you about, the one that Sasuke turned." Kiba looked around. "Speaking of your sire, Iruka, where is Kakashi?"

Iruka's smile faded a bit. "Sasuke sent him to talk to Gaara about negotiating a compromise. He should be back by the end of the week."

Kiba nodded before turning to a small girl with short black hair. "Naruto, this is Hyuga Hinata, formerly of the Hyuga coven that I was telling you about. The scary looking guy sitting next her is Neji." Said scary looking guy narrowed his eyes at Kiba.

Hinata eyed Neji carefully for a moment before standing and bowing slightly to Naruto. "P-p-pleasure," she was able to get out before she sat back down. Neji stopped his glare long enough to nod to Naruto before he returned to glaring at Kiba. Kiba gulped before turning to the next person.

Kiba was about to introduced a pretty blond, but she beat him to it. "I'm Ino. It's so nice to finally be able to see you. Sasuke's told us all about you. Well, mostly it was a 'Do not touch the blond on pain of death,' but still, it's nice to finally see who got under Sasuke's skin. I haven't seen him this riled up about anything, ever! Well, except for that one time when Kiba decided it'd be a good idea to…"

"Anyway!" Kiba interrupted. "Ino is formerly of the Yamanaka coven. They sent her here because she talked too much and they wanted to get rid of her." Ino hissed at him. Kiba smirked back at her. "And where's your shadow?"

"Sakura?" Kiba nodded. "Sasuke sent her with Kakashi. He thought it'd be better if she wasn't here when Naruto got here." Everyone collectively winced and then nodded in understanding. Confused, Naruto turned to Kiba for an explanation.

"Well, Sakura was one of the strays that Sasuke picked up. He had received reports of a sire-less fledgling wondering around the countryside and he decided to go and bring her here. She doesn't remember much of her life before Sasuke, and even less of her life before she was turned. But ever since Sasuke brought her here, she's been dead devoted to Sasuke, and tends to get a bit jealous of anyone he gives his attention to. Mainly, you. Don't worry though," Kiba was quick to reassure him, "she won't hurt you because Sasuke's told her not to. But she may be a bit nasty to you. Just ignore her."

Naruto nodded and, satisfied, Kiba moved on. "The large guy there is Choji, formerly of the Akimichi coven. Wave Choji!" A very large man waved back. "He left his birth coven because he disagreed with their eating habits. It tends to be a common theme among those that left their birth covens to come here. That's also what Shikamaru, formerly of the Nara coven, did. Though, we all think that it's just because Shika's too lazy to hunt." A man with spiky hair pulled high into a pony tale grunted at the comment, nodded at Naruto, and then let his head fall back onto the seat. Naruto strangled back a chuckle. He didn't look like he could hurt a fly! "They both left on good terms with their birth covens, though, and so act as negotiators back and forth."

Naruto nodded and Kiba moved on. "The creepy guy over there is Shino, formerly of the Aburame coven. He is acting ambassador between the two covens, like Hinata is." The man Kiba motioned to had a high collared jacket and sunglasses on. He didn't even flinch when Kiba called him creepy. He nodded to Naruto and Naruto decided that he agreed with Kiba.

Kiba looked once more around the room before nodding to himself. "Well, that's everyone that you should be familiar with. Come have a seat." Kiba walked forward and sat down on the other side of Hinata, earning a growled warning from Neji. Naruto shifted slightly before he noticed that Iruka shifted over on his seat on a sofa and was motioning Naruto to sit next to him. Naruto smiled back at him and joined him on the sofa.

"Where's Karin?" He directed his question to Iruka, but it was Neji who answered.

"She's outside with Suigetsu." Neji motioned towards a window.

There was a patio outside of the lounge that Naruto hadn't noticed before. There was another group out on the patio. He saw Karin, who waved back to him, and Suigetsu he recognized from the bar. He didn't recognize any of the others, but he did notice that they were all staring at him. No, not staring, they were glaring at him. The anger in their faces was unmistakable. And Naruto noticed that, unlike the group he was sitting with, they did not advert their glares when they noticed he was looking at them. Just like when he was back in the club, he couldn't turn his eyes from them. He felt a shiver run down his spine. Neji, who was sitting across from him, finally shifted and blocked Naruto's view.

"Who are they?" Naruto had a good idea who they were, but he wanted to confirm his suspicions.

Kiba answered him. "Those are the members of this house. The ones that Sasuke doesn't trust. They aren't very nice. I would avoid them if I were you. Hell, I even avoid them if I can." Several nods around the room confirmed that Kiba wasn't the only one.

Ino leaned forward to whisper to Naruto, though it was mainly for show. Everyone could hear what she was saying. "They call themselves Akatsuki. They're sort of like their own little gang. Did you know…"

"Ino," Shikamaru interrupted, "He doesn't need to know anymore than that. They've been given orders that they aren't even allowed in the same room as you, so you don't need to worry about them."

Iruka patted his shoulder. "Though, it might not be a bad idea to have one of us with you during the evening." Naruto agreed. He definitely didn't want to meet up with any of them in a dark hallway.

A breath passed before, collectively, they all stood. Confused, Naruto stood too. Iruka smiled at him. "Bedtime."

He felt a pull at his elbow. It was Kiba. "I'll show you back to your room. You should stay there until the sun's up, then you can go exploring if you want." Naruto yawned. Kiba laughed. "Or you can go to sleep too." Naruto tried to keep track of the turns to get back to his room, but soon found that he was completely lost, again. Kiba thought this was hilarious. "I'll have Ino draw you up a map tomorrow."

Finally, they made it back to his room. With a cheerful "Good morning!" Kiba disappeared down the hallway. Exhausted, Naruto leaned against his door. He watched the sun rise through his window before collapsing on his bed.

* * *

The next few days followed the same routine. True to his word, Kiba had Ino draw a map of the path from his room to the kitchen to the lounge. The rest of the map was a blank outline of the house. Kiba said it was to encourage Naruto to explore his new home. Naruto had scoffed and mourned the empty space on his map. But, by the third day, boredom had sat in and he started to explore the hallways between his room and the kitchen. His best find so far was a study library. The walls were bookshelves filled with books. Naruto had "borrowed" a few. There was a single desk in front of a large window overlooking the large gardens. Facing the desk were several large, overstuffed chairs and lounge sofas. Naruto concluded that vampires were big on luxury.

His worst find were the several bedrooms he came across. Out of respect for the vampires he found himself living with, and out of fear for his life if he accidently killed one of them, he made sure to be careful not to let any sunlight in. He had nearly screamed when he pulled the curtain back enough to look in and see a huge, shark like man lying dead like in the bed. The next day, he saw the same man standing outside on the patio giving him a particularly nasty glare. Naruto wondered if vampires could tell if someone found them while they were sleeping. He decided not to risk it anymore, so when he found a bedroom, he marked a large X through that spot on his map, and then closed the door firmly behind him.

Sasuke, however, was no where in sight. He had asked Iruka where Sasuke was. Iruka told him that he was holing himself up in his study, either doing research or sending out treaty letters to neighboring covens. Iruka had eyed him carefully before telling him that Sasuke was making himself scarce on purpose. Naruto forced himself not to think about that and returned the books he had borrowed the next morning.

The most surprising thing of the first week in his new home was the close friendships that he had formed with his new housemates. Kiba and him had a great time talking and telling each other jokes. Iruka was the first person he had ever opened up to about his childhood. Iruka had even cried with him. Even Hinata would sit with him and talk to him, with Neji and Kiba present of course. She answered a lot of questions he had about vampires and their abilities. And once he got past the stuttering, she was very interesting to talk to.

He had grown, not comfortable, but less on edge in his environment. He was even going to go meet with Iruka to go for a walk ourside. So it was a surprise to him to see someone new on the stairs one evening as he was walking down to meet Iruka. She was tall with light pink hair. She was headed up the stairs, but when she noticed him, she stopped. She eyed him carefully before her pretty features scrunched up in a complete and utter look of loathing.

Naruto had thought that he couldn't be frightened of anyone more than he was of Sasuke, but this girl came a close second. He found himself unable to move as the girl smoothed over her features and came up the rest of the stairs to stand across from him.

"I don't believe we've met," she said haughtily. "My name is Sakura. You must be Sasuke's new chew toy." Naruto's jaw dropped. New chew toy? Sakura eyed him up and down before a smirk spread across her face. "You won't last much longer. I give you a week before Sasuke grows tired of your whining and rips your throat out."

And with a swish of her hair, she disappeared down the hallway, leaving Naruto to stare at the empty space she had been.


	5. Chapter 4: Once upon a time

**So, thank you for the feedback; we're making progress! Maybe a bribe would work instead of asking nicely?**

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* * *

**Chapter Four: Once upon a time, there was a little prince...**

Naruto stood frozen, staring at the place where Sakura had been. He tried to form a train of rational thought, but his brain had short circuited. He felt the old terror that had receded in the past week rising up again.

"There you are! I was wondering where you wondered off to. Are you ready to go outside?"

She had called him a chew toy. It was something he had been concerned about since he had learned what Sasuke was. He knew that you could survive being bitten, but it just sounded painful. And he wasn't big on the entire pain thing.

"Naruto? Are you ok? There's someone I wanted you to meet."

And while it was true that he didn't have much to live for, he wasn't quite ready to die yet. And Sakura had given him a deadline.

"Naruto? Naruto? Kakashi, something's wrong."

They had told him to ignore Sakura. But how could he ignore such an ominous prediction? She could be right. After all, he had no idea why he had been brought here. Had no idea how long he'd be kept here. Had no idea what would happen to him in the end.

"Should I go and get Sasuke?"

The sound of that name prompted him into action. He took off running, passing by Iruka and a silver haired man. He had been told where Sasuke had been hiding. He just hoped that there was only one study.

He skidded around a corner, catching a glimpse of Iruka and the unknown man keeping pace behind him. At the end of this hallway was the study. He threw open the doors before he could allow his brain to talk himself out of it.

Sasuke was sitting behind the desk. He looked up as Naruto entered, raising an eyebrow in silent question. When his only answer was Naruto's panting breaths, he opened his mouth to voice his question. He was interrupted by Naruto picking up the nearest object (a lamp, as it turned out, which sparked as the cord was pulled from the wall) and chucking it at Sasuke's head.

"Naruto!" Iruka's startled cry came from behind him. But Sasuke had already caught the lamp inches from his face and was holding up a hand to stop Iruka.

"Naruto. How pleasant it is to see you again. May I help you with something?"

Naruto's snarl would have made any vampire proud. "Why am I here?"

Sasuke didn't immediately answer. Naruto's panic didn't allow him the patience to wait much longer than that. "I want to go home."

"You are home." Sasuke did answer immediately that time.

"No I'm not!" Naruto picked up a book and threw it at Sasuke. Again, and much to Naruto's aggravation, Sasuke caught the projectile and set it gently on the desk. "I want to go home to my crappy apartment and my crappy job and my crappy life. And I want to go away from you!"

Sasuke watched him fume for a moment before he walked around the desk and leaned back on it, crossing his arms across his chest. "We discussed home, remember? Home is where the heart is. Then have you left your heart back in your crappy life?"

Naruto struggled to find an answer, but he had the feeling that it was rhetorical anyway. Sasuke continued to talk without waiting for a reply. "You have no friends, no family. I have taken you away from no one. I have taken you away from nothing."

"That's not the point!"

"Is it not?"

"No! You kidnapped me!" Naruto felt that Sasuke was missing this point completely.

"Hm." Sasuke considered this for a moment. "Perhaps." Naruto stuttered out a squeaked shout. "But have I not repaid you for that? I have given you everything that your old life lacked. I have given you a home, with friends and family, people who would die for you and give you anything. You have not wanted for anything since you have been here. The only limitations on your lifestyle have been imposed upon you by yourself."

Naruto clenched his hands. "Anything I want?" Sasuke nodded once. "Well, I _want_ to go home."

Sasuke sighed deeply, as if dealing with a petulant child. There was silence for a moment where Naruto thought that maybe Sasuke would actually let him go. That, or he was seriously thinking about just killing him and getting it over with. Sasuke looked over Naruto's shoulder at the wall. "Was I mistaken?"

"Yes," Naruto replied immediately. Sasuke leveled a glare at him.

"Did I take you away from someone?" Naruto snapped his mouth close. "If I have, tell me. I will bring them to you."

Naruto scoffed. "I wouldn't subject my worse enemy to you."

Sasuke kept his gaze on Naruto. Slowly, a crooked grin stretched across his face. "I was not mistaken, was I?" Naruto shrieked in frustration. "Anything you want is yours. But this is your home now."

The stress finally erupted. "You monster! I hate you!" He picked up another object (the matching lamp to the one he already had thrown) and threw it at Sasuke's head. Sasuke didn't catch it that time. The sickening crash of the lamp shattering against Sasuke's head echoed in Naruto's ears as he ran out of the study and down the hallway.

* * *

Naruto didn't know where he was going. He was running blindly, trying to put as much distance between Sasuke and himself. He had to get out of here. He had found a couple of doors to the outside, but they were all locked. He could feel the hysteria rising in his chest.

Finally, he ran past the kitchen. He back tracked and skidded into the kitchen. On one wall was a large, bay window. He picked up one of the kitchen chairs and threw it at the window. It bounced off without even causing a crack. Even the windows were reinforced! He grabbed one of barstools from the counter and swung it hard at the window. It bounced back, but the ricochet added to his momentum. He continued to swing at the window until there was a slight crack.

And then there was a hand wrapping gently around his wrist.

"Naruto."

He recognized Iruka's voice. "No!"

A sigh. "Naruto."

"No!"

"No what?"

He tried to pull his hand out of Iruka's grasp, but Iruka just pulled him closer into a tight hug. "Perhaps we should take this outside. Some fresh air would do him good." Iruka nodded against his head and started to lead him away.

He didn't know how he got there, but he was soon outside. Exhausted, he sank down to the soft grass and struggled to control his crying. A bottle of water was pushed in front of his face. He accepted it and looked at who had given it to him. It was someone he hadn't seen before. The most starling features were the mismatched eyes- one of which was a very familiar shade of red.

Iruka laid his hand on Naruto's shoulder to get his attention. "Naruto, this is my sire, Kakashi. He won't hurt you."

Naruto remembered what Kiba had said. This man was Sasuke's fledgling. He had been hoping that he could convince Iruka to take him home, but he had a sinking feeling that this man, Kakashi, wouldn't let him leave. But, maybe he could try.

"I hate him," Naruto started. Kakashi nodded.

"Most people do when they first meet him. I think if you got to know him a bit more, you wouldn't hate him as much."

"Doubt that," Naruto mumbled. He broke the seal on his water and took a sip.

Kakashi hummed thoughtfully before he crouched down to Naruto's level. "Well, while you calm yourself down, let me tell you a story."

Naruto rolled his eyes. He was about to tell Kakashi to screw off, but Iruka was there sitting next to him and smiling. And damn it, he couldn't disappoint Iruka.

"Once upon a time…"

"Really?" Was this guy for real?

"Isn't that how all stories start?" Naruto didn't reply, and Kakashi took that as permission to continue. "Once upon a time, I was hired by an aristocratic family to be a tutor and companion to their youngest son. That was the first time I met Uchiha Sasuke. He was five when I first met him."

Naruto considered that. Sasuke was a child once. Sasuke was _human _once. It made since, he supposed, but it was something he hadn't thought about.

"Sasuke was a very happy child. Enthusiastic, rambunctious. Usually ended up falling out of a tree at least once a week. At the same time, he could be so serious. He had a lot of expectations to live up to, so he knew how to work hard. It was my job to teach him, but I found, more often than not, that Sasuke would teach himself. I simply provided the materials and checked his work.

"The Uchiha clan was a large, very close, family. And the family's pride and joy was Sasuke's older brother, Itachi. Well, one day, Itachi was sent to make his honor in a series of battles. He was gone for some years. Sasuke was devastated. He admired and adored his older brother. He counted down the days that Itachi was gone.

"When Itachi returned, he had been turned. The first thing he did was slaughter his family."

Naruto caught his breath. "Everyone?"

Kakashi nodded. "Everyone. Every man, woman, and child. Except Sasuke. Sasuke witnessed the massacre. He tried to stop Itachi, but he was so young. And there was nothing he could have done against a fully grown vampire."

Naruto was torn. He still hated the man, but he mourned for the child. "What about you?"

"I wasn't there. I had gone home to bury my father. If I had been there, I would have been killed."

"What happened to Sasuke?" Naruto knew what the end result was, but he was caught up in the story.

"Once his family was dead, Itachi made it very clear that as soon as Sasuke was old enough to survive the change, he would be turned. He was immediately locked away in his room. That's how I found him when I returned. Itachi, fortunately for me, agreed to keep me on as Sasuke's tutor."

Kakashi sighed and rubbed his head. "Sasuke was completely changed. It just seemed like he had shut down. He showed no emotion, even anger. He became completely apathetic about everything, and threw himself into his studies.

"When he was twelve, Itachi's sire came to live with us." Kakashi gave a dry chuckle. "If you think that Sasuke's scary, you should have seen this guy. Orochimaru was his name. Class A freak. Even Itachi was wary of him and kept him away from Sasuke as much as he could. That was our lives, for sixteen years. During the days, we were locked up and the evenings were spent avoiding Itachi and Orochimaru. Occasionally, we had to move. Mostly it was Itachi and Orochimaru taking over other vampires' territories, attempting to expand their territory. When Sasuke was twenty-eight, Itachi turned him. Let me assure you, it was most definitely against his will. He thought as you did, that vampires were monsters. He fought against Itachi, pleaded with him to not change him. But it was all for naught."

Naruto knew that Sasuke was changed, but to know how made it different. It was like when he went to the movies and saw the movie _Titanic_. He knew how it would end, but he still cried when the boat sank.

"When I found out that Itachi had taken Sasuke to be turned, I laid low. Sasuke and I had discussed what would happen to me to a great extent. Once Sasuke was turned, there would be no point in keeping me around. More than likely, I would be killed. We had decided that when Sasuke was turned, he would turn me in order to try and save me.

"Once a vampire is turned, they are incredibly vulnerable and have to be kept in a dark isolation. Usually, the sire stays with their fledgling to forge their bond, but Itachi only went to Sasuke when he needed to be fed. Sasuke was kept underground by himself for nearly a year. I hid. When Sasuke was finally able to leave his cell, the first thing he did was try to turn me. But, he was too young and didn't have the strength to complete the transformation. I was dying and Sasuke had to act fast. He knew if he asked Itachi, he wouldn't help him. So he went to Orochimaru. Orochimaru agreed to help, but in exchange, he wanted Sasuke's body. Sasuke agreed, and Orochimaru completed my transformation. Sasuke stayed with me as much as he could."

Naruto wrinkled his nose. "I bet Itachi wasn't happy about that."

Kakashi grinned. "No, he wasn't. Sasuke told me about it. When Itachi learned of Orochimaru and Sasuke's deal, he killed Orochimaru. It's incredibly difficult to kill one's sire. The bond forged between sire and fledgling causes emotions and feelings to travel between the two. Granted, Itachi's bond was probably not that strong with Orochimaru, but he was a great deal younger as well. He had to have been incredibly pissed."

Naruto thought about what he had been told. "When did Atatsuki come in?"

Kakashi laughed. "Met them, have we?"

Naruto grinned. "Only through a pain of glass."

"Better had it been through a brick wall. Without Orochimaru, the territory that he and Itachi had formed started to fall apart. Itachi had wanted Sasuke to stand with him, but Sasuke had no desire to. So Itachi started finding potential fledglings. He would find the most despicable, murderous individuals he could and turn them. Those fledglings would, in turn, turn the most despicable individuals they could find. And thus, the Uchiha coven was formed. They fed uncontrolled, wiping out entire villages.

"Sasuke and I both knew that something had to be done. We waged war against Itachi and his fledglings."

"Sasuke killed Itachi?" Naruto hoped so. He had a feeling that he didn't want this guy still on this planet. To his dismay, Kakashi shook his head.

"Itachi was older. But, amazingly, they were about evenly matched. So, Sasuke did the next best thing. He sealed him away."

"How?"

Kakashi shook his head again. "I have no idea. He used an old magic he had come across in his vampire studies. He hid the sealed Itachi away somewhere that only he knows where. When he came back, this was his coven. Any of Itachi's fledglings that rebelled against Sasuke, we killed. We felt we could not risk leaving such dangerous individual to their own devices. Eventually, the coven agreed to follow Sasuke's rules.

Iruka decided to finally put his own input in. "And you know what happened from there. Sasuke's coven grew from the "strays" he picked up."

Kakashi nodded. "He has made it his mission to find a way that humans and vampires can have a symbiotic relationship. He spends so much time speaking with other covens and making treaties in his "no-kill" policy. He has been mildly successful, but he still has a lot of ground yet to cover."

The thought entered his head before he could stop it. And he never did have a filter in his brain. "I've seen him kill."

Kakashi winced. "Yes, I heard all about that. Sasuke really beat himself up about that. And I understand that it upset you." Naruto nodded. "But, let me ask you a question. If it had been a police officer who had interfered in your would be execution, and the police officer had had to shoot and kill your attacker, would you hate that police officer as much as you hate Sasuke? Or would you have felt grateful for him having saved your life."

Naruto knew the answer. It seemed like Kakashi knew the answer as well. "You're biased against Sasuke for what he is. He can't help that he is a vampire any more than you can help that you're human."

Naruto sighed. He knew that Kakashi was right, but he still had one more card to play. "He still kidnapped me."

"He did so in your best interest. Sasuke has always been "the ends justify the means" kind of guy. If he thinks that something needs to be done, he will do anything to accomplish it. He saw that you were in danger and he saved you, regardless of the how. Was there another, better way? Probably. He believed that he could provide a better life for you. So he made sure that you got here."

"He didn't have to herd me here. I was so scared."

Iruka patted his shoulder. "I'm sure you were," Kakashi said. "But you were already hysterical. Can you imagine if he had cornered you or grabbed you? You probably wouldn't have come willingly, regardless. I know that his methods might be a bit abrupt, but he was doing what he thought was best."

They sat in silence for quite some time. Kakashi and Iruka allowed Naruto to absorb all the data that had been thrown at him. Naruto played with his water bottle. He was having trouble integrating the Sasuke that he had encountered with what he had heard about him. There was one last thing he had to know, before he could decide what he wanted to do.

"Why me?"

Kakashi and Iruka exchanged looks over Naruto's head.

"Twenty-six years ago, Sasuke was out hunting one evening when he came across something strange. There was a teenage girl throwing away something in a dumpster. She was skittish. So Sasuke investigated. It was a baby. You."

The dizziness came on sudden and unexpected, leaving him lightheaded. His vision started tunneling, but then there was a cool hand against his forehead.

"Naruto, take a sip of your water." Naruto followed Iruka's suggestion, and almost immediately, his vision started clearing. The dizziness was still there, but he didn't feel like he was going to faint. Kakashi let him regain his bearings before he continued.

"Sasuke retrieved you from that dumpster. You were born prematurely, probably because your mother was malnourished. Sasuke said you were so close to dying, weak and tiny. He knew you needed help. So, he took you to the only orphanage with access to a twenty-four hour hospital. He stayed with you the entire night and came back every night after that to check on your progress. He wouldn't tell me why he saved you, but I think he was trying to save the child he was."

Iruka was rubbing his back, but Naruto couldn't really feel it. "How often did he come back?"

Kakashi sighed. "Often. He tried to keep his distance, but every time that you were sent back, he would sit with you as you cried yourself to sleep. Any time that you would hide from the house mother and retreat into your daydreams, he would hold you until you came back. He watched you grow up. And then, poor Sasuke, you became a man. He knew he couldn't trust himself around you anymore. If he allowed himself to see you, he wouldn't be able to prevent himself from stealing you away. Then enter Karin."

"And he sent her to watch me," Naruto concluded.

Kakashi nodded. "Yes. With orders that she was not to tell Sasuke anything about you unless there was something wrong. Sasuke worked so hard to remove himself from your life, and even harder to remove you from his. It was mildly successful. But a couple months back, Karin came to Sasuke and told him that you were lonely and asked for permission to be your friend. It was all that was needed to cause his instincts to start to kick in high gear. Already he was wondering if he should go and introduce himself to you, if he should interfere in your life once more. He was still struggling with himself when Karin brought you to the club."

"I thought he hated me, for some reason. He was glaring at me." Naruto remembered those eyes locking him into place through a crowded room.

"He wasn't angry at you. And he never could hate you. Just the opposite. He adores you. He was angry that Karin had brought you to a club that was known vampire hunting grounds. But it was all the motivation he needed. He had decided that the next evening, he would start to reintegrate himself into your life." Kakashi leveled a very serious look at Naruto. "For what it is worth, he meant to go slow. Take his time for you to get to know him, and for him to reacquaint himself with you. Then that idiot mugger ruined it. How was Sasuke supposed to let his most precious person go after a near death experience? When he was afraid that you would never allow him close again? He couldn't let you go twice."

Naruto simply sat there. He didn't know what he should think. The person just moments ago he called a monster now seemed vulnerable. He wanted to take Sasuke away, tell him that everything would be alright. He winced at what he had yelled at the man upstairs in the study. He remembered Sasuke's face, the pained expression, right before he allowed the lamp to smack into him. This man that had saved him twice, and had tried to give him the family he had always imagined. In his mind, he could still feel the arms wrapping around him in the daydreams of his youth. No, Sasuke had been the family he had imagined. He wanted to start over with Sasuke. How it would have been had he not been mugged that night. But he didn't know where to start.

Both Kakashi and Iruka stood at the same time. Iruka smiled at him. "Well, it's been a long night, Naruto. Let's get you back to your room."

Naruto stood and followed them sedately, lost in his thoughts. At his bedroom door, he wished them both a good morning and opened his door. Kakashi stopped him before he could enter.

"Naruto, you should know that nothing is expected of you. If you don't think that you could see yourself with Sasuke, no one will force you. Sasuke least of all. But, I think you should give him a chance. He would dote on you, give you anything and everything you wanted. And I think that you would do him some good as well." With that, Kakashi vanished down the hallway.

* * *

Naruto had laid awake in his bed until he was sure that the sun was firmly in the sky. His growling stomach prompted him up and into the kitchen. He didn't feel much like exploring, so after his meal, he headed directly back up to his room. Instead of entering, though, he leaned his shoulder against his door and breathed deeply. He didn't know what he should do! Should he go and apologize to Sasuke tomorrow? Probably. But he didn't even know where to begin. And, to add to his uncertainty, somewhere in his gut he was still terrified of the man.

Naruto exhaled once more and pushed off the door before looking down the hallway in the opposite direction he went to get to the kitchen. It was a dead-end with a large mirror that had more than once scared him when he saw his reflection. Because of that, he had often avoided looking down to that end of the hallway, but now he noticed something. There was a door. Naruto bit his lip and walked slowly to the door. He cracked it open and noticed the tell-tale signs of another bedroom. He was about to close the door and mark it off on his map, but his spine froze him in place. It was an eerily familiar feeling that Nartuo recognized. He stepped into the room and closed the door behind him, plunging him immediately into darkness. He leaned against the door and closed his eyes in the hope of his eyes adjusting to the dark and his breaths to return to normal. Five minutes later, his eyes had adjusted, but he still felt on the verge of hyperventilating.

He looked around the room in an attempt to delay confirming who was sleeping in the bed. It was much smaller than his. It was larger than his apartment, though that wasn't saying much, but still very modest. Naruto finally held in his breath and walked across the room (14.3 seconds) to the bed. It was a shaky hand that pulled the curtain back just enough to reveal Sasuke's face.

He truly was handsome. Naruto had thought that he would look peaceful in his sleep, but Sasuke had deep creases between his eyebrows. He looked tortured. '_He is tortured. And I threw it in his face.'_ Naruto didn't realize he was reaching forward to smooth Sasuke's brow until his hand was halfway there. He froze with his hand hovering over Sasuke. In that moment, he knew that he would have to try to make things right with Sasuke. He just hoped that he didn't screw up.

* * *

Naruto wondered if he should knock. Doubtless, Sasuke already knew he was standing like an idiot outside his study. But Sasuke might at least appreciate the gesture. But what if Sasuke said he couldn't come in?

It was that thought that prompted Naruto to crack the door open and peek into the room. He flinched when he saw that Sasuke was sitting at his desk, chin resting on folded hands, watching Naruto fidget in the doorway. Naruto huffed at the raised eyebrow and slid inside. He shut the door behind him to prevent himself from running away. He knew what he wanted to say, but he didn't think that bringing himself to say it would be so difficult.

To give him time to think of how he wanted to word it, he turned to the nearest bookshelf and started browsing the books. There was silence behind him for a several agonizing seconds before he heard the scratching of a pen coming from the desk. He looked briefly over his shoulder to see that Sasuke had returned to work. Naruto returned to browsing though the books, working his way around the room, closer to Sasuke. Every once in a while he would take a book off the shelf and thumb through it. Occasionally, he would come across a book written in a language that he didn't recognize. His curiosity wanted to ask what languages they were, but he knew that that would have to wait.

He was finally standing against the wall, but directly to Sasuke's side. He was still about three meters away from Sasuke, but this was a success to Naruto. It was the closest he had ever gotten without wanting to run away.

"May I assist you in some way?" Sasuke's voice startled Naruto into dropping the book in his hand. An expression of what Naruto would almost label as guilt flashed across Sasuke's face before he looked away. Naruto picked up the book and stuck his tongue out at Sasuke. As he turned to put the book back on the shelf, he saw a grin twitch itself to life across Sasuke's face. Naruto fought a grin as well, but he schooled his features into a passive look before turning to face Sasuke. Sasuke, to his frustration, had returned to his work like nothing had happened.

Naruto crossed the room to sit in an overstuffed chair directly in front of Sasuke's desk. Sasuke glanced at him before resuming his writing. Naruto fidgeted for several minutes before the silence finally got to him.

"So…" he said to catch Sasuke's attention.

Sasuke looked up at him. He placed his pen down and folded his hands in front of him. "So?"

Naruto scowled at him and Sasuke rested his chin on his hands. "So, I've been told that you aren't all that bad."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Have you?"

Naruto nodded. "Yes. Apparently you're simply misunderstood."

Yes, that was definitely a smirk threatening to cross Sasuke's face. "Am I?"

Naruto nodded again, with upmost seriousness. "I've also been told that you are severally socially inept."

Oh, and that was definitely a scowl. "I assure you that I am not inept at anything. And what else has Kakashi been telling you?"

Naruto grinned. He was having fun. "You are a bit socially stupid. Kakashi didn't have to tell me that." The low growl was surprisingly non-threatening. "So, in light of that, I've decided we should try again." The growl cut off suddenly.

"Try again?" His voice was almost hesitant. Naruto chewed his tongue before voicing the answer.

"Yea. Try to be friends." Sasuke turned his head slightly, looking at Naruto from the corner of his eye.

"Friends?" Kakashi had said that Sasuke wouldn't push him. He supposed now was his chance to test that.

"Yea. Friends. We have to start somewhere, right? And I'm willing to try." He emphasized that last word. He wasn't promising anything more than that.

Sasuke nodded in acceptance before shooting Naruto a weak grin. He turned back to his work.

Naruto let him work for a couple more minutes before the silence started to make him fidget. "What are you working on?"

"I am translating an old Celtic text. I believe that it contains relevant information about vampires."

"Ah." A pause. "You know Celtic?"

Sasuke glanced up at Naruto with a half smirk. "Of course. I was born into an aristocratic family. As such, I had to learn many languages, Celtic being one of them."

It was a weird language to learn, aristocratic or not. Unless… "How old are you?"

Sasuke's smirk widened. "Very." And he turned back to his translation.

Naruto huffed at the answer. Naruto struggled through the silence for a while. It seemed he would have to take baby steps with teaching Sasuke how to be sociable.

"And now a friend would ask their friend how they've been enjoying their time here."

Sasuke looked up at Naruto, almost startled, before he placed his pen down on the desk. "You seemed to be doing fine, until yesterday."

Yesterday was already brought up, but Naruto found he wasn't quite ready to discuss his little break down. "Yea, I forgot. The house is crawling with your spies."

A grin, for Naruto's sake, was his answer. "Will you allow me to know what changed? My spies seem to be lacking in that knowledge."

Naruto fidgeted slightly. "Stress." Sasuke sighed.

"Let us pretend that you know I am not stupid. Someone said something to you. Who?"

Naruto realized that Sasuke was coaxing him. He wasn't forcing all of the information from him all at once. He wondered just how much Sasuke actually knew. He also wondered if he should tell him that it was Sakura. No, he decided. He'd seen the result of Sasuke's temper. He remembered Kiba joking about Sasuke ripping his head off if he so much as touched Naruto. He decided he didn't want to test if that was an exaggeration or not.

"No one." Sasuke scowled.

"All right. Then let us try this. What did Sakura say to you?" Naruto drew in a sharp breath.

"How'd you…I mean…it wasn't…damn." Sasuke grinned.

"As I said, I am not stupid. I also do not believe in coincidences. Sakura returned home last night. And I know that she…is not fond of you. So, I will ask again. What did she say to you?"

"Does it matter? It's over and done with, anyway."

"Yes. It matters."

How was Naruto to tell him? It was uncomfortable. And if what Kakashi said was true, then saying such a thing to Sasuke would offend him. He would be angry.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed to a slit. "You should know that I will find out. If you do not tell me, I will ask Sakura. She will tell me, even if she knows that it will anger me. The difference is that if you tell me, I might not be as angry when I see Sakura again. If she tells me, there will be nothing to prevent me from punishing her."

And that was a threat if Naruto ever heard one. Damn. He was upset at Sakura, but he didn't want anyone getting hurt because of him. "Fine. But it is done with, so you have to promise you won't hurt her."

Sasuke's eyebrow twitched. "I promise."

Naruto chewed his lip slightly, before he looked away from Sasuke towards one of the bookshelves. "She called me a chew toy, and told me that you'd kill me within the week." He mumbled the sentence, hoping that Sasuke would miss it. Apparently, he misjudged how sensitive Sasuke's hearing was.

There was a loud snap, and Naruto chanced a look to see what had broken. Sasuke had, at some point, picked up his pen again. It was his pen that had broken under Sasuke's grip. Naruto looked up to Sasuke's face to try and determine what was going through his head, but he had to choke back his gasp of surprise. Sasuke's eyes were back to being bright red.

Sasuke standing suddenly startled Naruto back into action. He stood as well. "Stop!" His voice broke in his panic, but it seemed to work. Sasuke froze.

"This type of behavior will not be tolerated in my coven." Sasuke's voice was a low growl. Naruto shook his head.

"You promised!"

Sasuke stared at Naruto for several seconds. Slowly, his eyes faded back to black, and he sat stiffly back into his chair. Naruto let go of the breath he had been holding and sat as well.

"She will be punished."

"Can't you just forget it ever happened?" It was a lot to ask. But he had to try.

The scowl that crossed Sasuke's face was dark and foreboding. "No."

"But you won't hurt her. You promised." Sasuke picked up a new pen and started tapping it on the desk.

"No. I will not hurt her. But she has injured me as well as you by insinuating that I would," Sasuke paused and looked carefully back at Naruto. "Could, ever hurt you. It is an offence I do not take lightly. She and I will have to discuss her offence."

Well, that was fair. Naruto watched as Sasuke retreated back into his thoughts. The tapping of the pen was constant, a sign of Sasuke's continued agitation.

The creases were back between Sasuke's eyebrows. Naruto's hand twitched, but he refused to reach out to him. "I'm sorry I broke your lamp." The tapping stopped and Sasuke was looking at him again, amusement clearly present on his face. He had wanted to apologize for his emotional break-down, or even for breaking said lamp against Sasuke's face. But he was a man, and one's pride could only take so many hits in one day. But, it seemed to do the trick. Sasuke didn't seem as agitated now.

"Yes. It was one of a pair, you know. And now the one looks rather ridiculous sitting there by itself."

It was Naruto's turn to narrow his eyes. Sasuke was teasing him! "I could always break that one too," he threatened. It wasn't nearly as ominous as Sasuke's threat. Sasuke seemed to not think so as well.

"Hm. No, I think we can save that one for your next temper tantrum."

"Hm. And you're a bastard." Sasuke chuckled. "Well, I think that's as pleasant as we can be to each other today. Bye Bastard." Naruto stood up and turned to leave. He was at the door when he heard Sasuke's voice answer him.

"Good evening, Naruto."

Naruto turned back to Sasuke and offered him a grin, before slipping out of the room. He leaned back against the door for a moment to calm his heart beat. He had hated the man. The feeling had been real. But now...going from one extreme to another is such a short amount of time apparently wasn't good for the heart. Naruto rubbed his chest. Maybe, he and Sasuke could be friends. Maybe more, but Naruto didn't want to think that far ahead yet. '_Perhaps'_, Naruto thought cautiously, _'perhaps I'm finally home.'_


	6. Chapter 5: The Beginnings of a Promise

**So, here's what I'm going to do. If/when I hit 70 reviews, I will take requests from all those who have given me feedback on this story for short one-shots. If we reach that point, I'll give more info. Please see the last chapter for the rules. Please don't leave a review on this story asking questions about this game (messages are fine, though). **

**This isn't simply a bribe (at least, that's what I'm telling myself). But if I reach that point, then I will feel obligated to show my thanks for those people who have helped me along the way. Also, I think that this would be a great exercise for me to develop my range as a writer. **

**Thank you to everyone who has given me feedback thus far. Hope this chapter doesn't disappoint!**

* * *

**Chapter Five: The Beginnings of a Promise**

With the terror of the possibility of running into Sasuke out of the way, Naruto felt as if a weight had lifted from his chest. And as he promised, he was trying to be happy in his new home. He was also trying to befriend Sasuke. So, Naruto had developed a new routine, one that led him to be slightly nocturnal. He slept most of the day, but in the late afternoon he would go exploring the house. After a week, most of his map had been filled in. Once the sun had set, he would eat dinner and then spend some time with his new friends. After that, he would go and visit Sasuke.

The first couple of days were tense. Most of the time, Sasuke would be working and Naruto would read some books. Occasionally, Sasuke would ask him what he did that day. Naruto had no illusions that Sasuke didn't already know his every movement, but he would tell Sasuke everything anyway. After a while, Naruto started telling Sasuke his opinions on the different rooms, decorations, and people who lived in the house. His commentary seemed to amuse Sasuke, who often supplemented their discussions with his own thoughts. The friendship formed was tentative, but it was there and it was a start.

Naruto never ceased to be surprised by Sasuke. Naruto knew he was strong. One had to be in order to survive what he had. But he was also incredibly gentle, in his own way. Naruto was beginning to enjoy and look forward to his time with Sasuke. He only hoped that he wouldn't disappoint him.

* * *

It was only about an hour before sunset, and Naruto was exploring the far corner of the house. He was about to head back to the kitchen when he came across a rather thick, imposing door. Curious, he decided to go inside. To his surprise, the door was an entry way to a stone stair case. It seemed unfinished, rough, in comparison to the rest of the lavishly decorated house. The apprehensive feeling that had been fading to the background in the past week was starting to rear its head again.

'_Well, I promised I would try.'_ He would explore this last section before heading back. Swallowing hard, Naruto started his decent.

The stairs seemed to go on forever. Naruto was about to turn back when the stairs finally leveled out and he was faced with another thick door. He had a really bad feeling about what was behind this door. He scowled at how idiotic he was acting. _'If I'm going to be living with vampires, I'm going to have to grow a spine.'_ With that thought, he pushed open the door to reveal…

…more stairs. Naruto sighed. It was incredibly dark now. He felt along the walls as he took the stairs down, feeling for a light switch. The stairs finally leveled out and Naruto stayed close to the wall. He smelled the cold scent of stone and copper. Perhaps he was in a basement. Finally, his hand brushed against a switch. He was not expecting what he saw when he flipped it.

It was a torture chamber, right out of the middle ages. Tables with straps, rusted knives, and heaps of chains littered the room. One wall looked like it was used simply to chain up victims to the wall. The room was full with devices that he was positive he didn't want to know how they were used and what looked to be an Iron Maiden. And to his horror, the spikes on the inside were caked in dried blood.

Naruto knew that he was frozen. He also knew that he was starting to hyperventilate, if the lightheaded feeling was any indication. Beyond that, Naruto's mind was blank. Somewhere above him, there was a creak. It was all that was needed to send Naruto running.

By the time he reached the top of the stairs, he was breathing heavily. He couldn't run anymore, but he knew he had to keep moving. It wasn't long before he ran into a familiar face.

"Naruto? Dude, you look awful."

'_Thank you, Kiba, for that wonderful observation,'_ Naruto thought. He wanted to say it out loud, but he didn't have the strength to force the words out.

"Are you all right? Where are you going?"

'_No. I don't know.'_ Naruto kept moving. Every once in a while, his shaking legs would stumble, but Kiba was there with a firm grip on his elbow. He didn't ask where he was going again, but just helped Naruto to get there.

Finally, _finally_, Naruto made it to Sasuke's study. He looked for Sasuke as soon as he opened the door. He could have sworn that he was at his desk, but the next time Naruto blinked, Sasuke was in front of him.

"Naruto, what happened?"

All Naruto could do was shake his head and reach out a trembling hand to Sasuke. Concerned and confused, Sasuke took it and pulled Naruto close to him before shooting a glare over Naruto's shoulder to Kiba.

"What happened to him?" The question was followed by a low growl. Kiba immediately backed up, hands held in front of him.

"I don't know. I found him like that. He was coming from the East wing. No one was over there so I don't have a clue."

Sasuke stared hard at Kiba before nodding his head once. "Go and get a glass of water." Naruto wanted to make a jibe at Sasuke about his lack of social skills, but he was still focusing on keeping the room upright. For a moment, Naruto thought Kiba would argue with Sasuke, but he was gone in the next second.

With a strong arm still wrapped around his shoulders, Sasuke guided Naruto over to a chair. Once Naruto was firmly sitting, Sasuke crouched down in front of him and looked up into his face.

"You are very pale. And you are still shaking." Naruto meant to ask him if there was a question in that observation, but it came out as a whimper. Sasuke raked his eyes over Naruto, looking for any sign of injuries, before he rested a cool hand gently on Naruto's forehead. Naruto closed his eyes and sighed into Sasuke's hand.

It was amazing to him. A week ago, if anything had scared him he would have blamed Sasuke run away from him. Now, he ran to Sasuke.

"Anything I can help with?" There was another voice from the doorway. Kakashi, if Naruto had to guess. It was confirmed by Sasuke saying the man's name. And Naruto would bet that Iruka wasn't far behind. The small gasp from the doorway confirmed Naruto's suspicion.

"Sasuke! What happened to Naruto?" Naruto cracked open an eye to look at Iruka. Kakashi was leaning, as if nothing was wrong (as if there wasn't a blood encrusted torture chamber beneath his feet) against the door frame. He had a firm grip on Iruka's arm, keeping him from going to Naruto's side. Sasuke's growl of frustration brought Naruto's attention back to the man in front of him.

"I do not know." He seemed to want to say something else, but Kiba was back with the glass of water. He gave it to Sasuke, who handed it to Naruto. Naruto tried to take a sip of water, but both of his hands were shaking too badly and he required Sasuke's steady hands over his to get the glass to his mouth.

Kiba was shifting from foot to foot. Finally he said, "I'll go see if anyone knows anything," before dashing out the door again.

Naruto sucked in a breath and held it, focusing on Sasuke's face and reminding himself about growing a spine. He forced a wide smile on his face. "Were you aware that your house has a torture chamber?"

Sasuke remained a statue for a couple more seconds before his face melted in relief. "Ah. I had forgotten about that."

"You forgot?" Naruto cried out in disbelief. "How could you forget about it?" The sight of that room would haunt him the rest of his life.

A crooked grin twitched itself to life on Sasuke's face. "If it makes you feel better, I inherited it from this house's previous owner. No one has used it since then. If it would make you feel better, I can have it cleared out." Naruto thought about it, but he shook his head.

"No, I don't want to be a bother. And it doesn't seem to bother anyone else." Sasuke grinned at him before standing and turning to Kakashi. If Naruto hadn't been watching him, he might have missed it. Sasuke was speaking, but it was in another language that Naruto didn't recognize and it was pitched lower than how he normally spoke. The words blurred together, but Kakashi seemed to be able to understand them. He nodded once, and then both he and Iruka turned and left.

"What language was that?" Sasuke looked back at him before turning and walking around his desk to sit back down.

"It is an ancient language developed by the first of the vampires. It is passed down from sire to fledgling."

"Ah." Naruto sat sipping on his water and controlling his breathing. Sasuke had gone back to work, and the scratching of his pen helped to calm Naruto.

"Sasuke, you spend a lot of time in here working." Naruto started the conversation. He wanted to get his mind off of what he had seen. And what better way to do that than to pester Sasuke? "You should leave your study every once in a while, get some fresh air or something."

The corner of Sasuke's mouth twitched. "I would think that it would be comforting to you, to know exactly where I would be."

There was guilt, now, bubbling in his stomach. "You don't have to do that."

"I have a great deal of work to catch up on, regardless. So, please feel no guilt."

Naruto toyed with his glass a bit, before standing back up. "Well, then, I think I'll go pester Kiba for a bit. I should probably apologize for scaring him, too." Naruto turned to leave, but he stopped and turned back to Sasuke. "Unless you would like to join me?"

Sasuke smiled lightly at him, before shaking his head. "Have fun."

Naruto grinned back at him, before giving him a slight wave.

When Naruto entered the lounge, Kiba seemed to be having a serious discussion with Neji. He didn't want to interrupt, but he caught Kiba's eye and smilled and waved at him. Kiba seemed to relax, and waved back. Naruto was looking around the room to see who else he should bother when a flick of pink drew his attention to his right.

It was Sakura. Naruto hadn't seen her since that day. In all honesty, he hadn't thought much about her either. She seemed fine, though, so he supposed Sasuke had kept his promise. She was sitting at a table, sitting across from Shikamaru, but she was currently looking steadfastly out the window. Naruto chewed his lip a bit before cursing being a nice guy. He walked over and sat down between her and Shikamaru. They seemed to have been playing a game of some sort, one that he hadn't seen before. There was a loud clearing of a throat behind him, and turning around confirmed his suspicion that it was Kiba. Kiba was looking at him like he was crazy and motioning for him to come back. Naruto shook his head, and questioned his own sanity before turning back to face Sakura.

"Well, it's been a week." There was no answer. The entire room was a silent. A quick glance to his right showed that even Shikamaru looked semi-alert. "I'm still alive."

Sakura finally turned to look at him. "That can be fixed."

There was a growl behind him, and Sakura turned to look back outside. Naruto turned to see who had growled, but it was too hard to tell. Everyone was on their feet, tensed and ready to pounce. Even Kakashi and Iruka had entered at some point and were looking concerned. The attention gave him some courage, so he turned back to Sakura.

"Well, since it looks like I'm going to be here a while, I thought maybe we could be friends."

"Friends?" Sakura sounded shocked, offended. "Friends?" She was standing now, and sounded more angry than shocked. "I'd rather rip your head off!" Sakura hit the table, which broke down the center and collapsed. Naruto stared wide mouthed at the wreckage before movement from the corner of his eye caused him to turn. Kakashi was standing by his chair.

"Well, you and I both know that you can't do that," Kakashi said. "So you might as well be friends." Sakura snarled and seemed to consider on whether or not she could attack Naruto before Kakashi could stop her.

"Sakura. Leave." Sasuke! Naruto turned to see Sasuke standing in the door way, seemingly none too pleased. Sakura growled again. "Now." Sakura threw Naruto one last nasty glare before she turned and stalked out of the room. Sasuke finally turned his attention to Naruto and raised an eyebrow in question. It was Neji who answered.

"The little idiot wanted to be friends with her. Sakura was not amused." Sasuke sighed a exasperation before crossing the room to stand beside Kakashi. Naruto stood to face him.

"Well, I think that went well." Dark chuckles were heard around the room. "What brings you down here, Sasuke?"

Sasuke scoffed. "I felt Kakashi's panic…"

"I wasn't panicked! I was concerned. Poor Naruto must have lost his mind."

"…and decided to come down and investigate. You wanted to be friends with Sakura? It was foolish to approach her so soon."

Kakashi voiced his agreement. "What would you have done had she followed through on her threat to kill you?"

Naruto shrugged. "She wouldn't have. Besides, Shikamaru was sitting right there."

Shikamaru snorted. "Apparently we underestimated his stupidity." Naruto turned to glare at him.

"Apparently I overestimated you in general."

Kiba guffawed. "That's for sure." Shikamaru's eyes narrowed. Sasuke sighed and interrupted before an argument could break out.

"Let us go for a walk outside, Naruto." Sasuke's hand on his back ushered him out the door and into the garden. Behind him, he could hear raised voices.

They walked in silence for a while, before Naruto had to break it. "Got you out of that study, though." Sasuke chuckled.

"I am positive that there would have been a better way to do that than to try and kill yourself."

"That wasn't what I was trying to do," Naruto mumbled. "I was trying to be friends with Sakura."

"I rest my case. Sakura has enough of a temper without you trying to be her "friend." I suppose I'll have to talk with her again." Sasuke sighed, not looking forward to the conversation.

Naruto shrugged. He didn't want Sakura to get into any more trouble because of him. "It's not her fault. She's jealous. You can't blame her for that." Sasuke chuckled.

"Should I take that as a compliment?" Naruto blushed and let the conversation stall into silence again. He was lost in his thoughts when he happened to glance at Sasuke. Sasuke seemed so much calmer, almost happy. It was hard for Naruto to imagine everything that Sasuke had been through when he saw him like that. He wondered if Sasuke ever thought about his past. Like always, the filter from his brain to his mouth seemed broken, and he voiced his thoughts before he could stop them.

"Do you regret it?" Well, that didn't make sense. He should learn to voice his questions better.

Sasuke turned his head to look at Naruto. "No." Naruto was surprised.

"You don't even know what I was asking about."

Sasuke's grinned widened. "I do not need to. I regret nothing in my past."

The answer shocked Naruto. He stopped in his tracks. He regretted his entire life, the orphanage, foster homes, everything. It seemed incredible that Sasuke, who had lived through so much more than him, didn't regret anything. "Why not?"

"Because everything in my life has culminated in this moment, and in this moment I am happy. Every step along the way, the death of my family, Itachi, being turned into a vampire, even deciding to take the long way home one night twenty-six years ago, has led me to you. Regretting my past would mean I regret my present- you. And I never would regret you."

Naruto was speechless. What does one say to that? He grinned weakly at Sasuke before attempting humor. "Oh, I bet you say that to all of your chew toys." He reached forward with his right hand and hooked his index and middle finger with Sasuke's to assure Sasuke his tease wasn't serious. Sasuke hooked his fingers with Naruto's and grinned back before leaning forward to murmur in Naruto's ear.

"Is that an offer?" Naruto's jaw dropped. He was sure that Sasuke was teasing him back, so he leaned back slightly to tell the Bastard that he was a bastard, but it was then that Naruto finally noticed how close Sasuke actually was.

Naruto froze, but it was nothing compared to the stillness that Sasuke sank into. At least Naruto was still breathing, even if it was fast and shallow. Naruto slowly looked up to Sasuke's eyes to gage his reaction, but Sasuke's eyes were turned down and over Naruto's shoulder. Naruto thought about what Sasuke had said, about having no regrets, before shifting slightly, closer to Sasuke. Slowly and carefully, Naruto brushed his lips over Sasuke's. It was just once, and it was just a brushing of lips, but a jolt went down Naruto's spine. He smiled widely up at Sasuke, whose eyes were now focused carefully on Naruto's face. For a moment, Naruto was concerned he had done something wrong, but then Sasuke _smiled_ at him, genuinely.

"No, I could never regret you."

* * *

They circled once around the garden before they headed back to the house. To Naruto's dismay, Akatsuki were back in their usual spot on the patio. Karin was with them, but she ran out to meet them as they approached and walked back with them.

"Naruto! Haven't had a chance to see you in a while."

Naruto grinned back at her. "Hey Karin. How've you been?"

"Fine!" She paused and looked over to the patio before turning back to Naruto. "So, I was thinking we could meet up tomorrow afternoon, catch up?" She shot a look at Sasuke, and Naruto had no doubt that she was asking for Sasuke's permission just as much as she was asking him.

"Sure, I'd like that."

"So, two in the afternoon? I'll make you lunch." She grinned at him, knowing that he couldn't refuse.

"That definitely sounds good."

She opened her mouth to reply, but another voice interrupted her. "Taking your pet out for a walk? Perhaps you should get a shorter leash." Sasuke growled and stepped in front of Naruto, blocking his sight.

"Well, Hidan, Sasuke could always have you neutered. That'd be fun. I'd love to do that. With or without orders." Naruto was surprised to see that it was Shikamaru who was speaking. He supposed that he was trying to make up for his lack of aggression earlier this evening. He wasn't alone, though, but backed by most of the rest of the coven. It seemed like every one had returned from hunting.

Kiba was sporting a feral grin. "I agree with Shikamaru. It'll be lots of fun. I'll help."

Hidan snarled back, but didn't take his eyes of Shikamaru. "I'd like to see you try."

"Enough. Fight on your own time, not mine." Sasuke's hand was on his back again, pushing him back inside. Naruto looked up at Sasuke in surprise. Everyone spoke of Sasuke's temper, and yet he was seemingly brushing this Hidan off. But as he and Sasuke walked through the doors, he noticed the look Sasuke shot Kakashi and the slight nod he received in return. Alarmed, he turned to look to see if anyone else had noticed it. To his horror, Akatsuki were all on their feet, baring their fangs at Sasuke's back. Sasuke's hand on his back remained gentle, and he was still smiling for him. "I think you have caused enough chaos for today. Time for bed."

Sasuke stayed at the bottom of the stairs as Naruto headed towards his room. He looked back at Sasuke only once. His face was relaxed, but he looked so small from the top of the staircase. Naruto chewed his lip in concern. How could Sasuke stand up against Akatsuki? He remembered what Kakashi had told him- they were the worse criminals of history that Itachi could find; together with Itachi, they had wiped out entire villages. How could Sasuke, with his "no-kill policy," compete against them? They were merciless killers, and Sasuke seemed to be so gentle and careful. Everyone had told him that Akatsuki followed Sasuke's orders, but why? It made no sense. Unless…

…unless it was an act. The thought hit Naruto like a board to the back of his skull. They were simply biding their time. Itachi was alive and hidden away somewhere- Sasuke couldn't kill him. He was merely sealed away. It stood to reason, then, that a seal could be broken. And the immortal Akatsuki had all the time in the world to wait for Itachi to be found and woken up. And then…what would happen then?

'_Then they'll betray Sasuke.'_

* * *

Naruto didn't know why he was in Sasuke's room. All he knew was that he had to see Sasuke, make sure he was ok. Sasuke was standing in front of a mirror, looking at his reflection. Naruto called out to him, and Sasuke turned to face him. He smiled at Naruto, but Naruto couldn't see it. Instead, he was watching as Sasuke's reflection started to move on its own. He saw it happening moments before it happened, but his call of warning was too late. The reflection had already punched a hole through Sasuke's chest.

Naruto ran to him and covered the wound, trying to stop the bleeding. Sasuke covered his hands with his own. He was still smiling at him with blood pouring down and over his lips.

* * *

Naruto woke himself up screaming. It was the first time that he had had one of those dreams in quite some time. And even though his dreams weren't entirely accurate before, there was an element of truth to them. So, he decided to take it at face value.

Sasuke was in danger.

But he'd be damned before he let anyone hurt him. For once in his life, he had something worth protecting. So, Naruto swore to himself that he would find some way to save Sasuke.

And he would start today.


	7. Chapter 6: Sasuke's Army

**Thanks for the feedback! I had fun writing this chapter, so hope you have fun reading it. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter Six: Sasuke's Army**

Before Naruto could decide on how best to go about saving someone who didn't think they needed to be saved, he had a date with Karin.

When he got down to the kitchen, she was already there preparing an overly lavish lunch. She had three pots on the stove and bowl on the counter that she was mixing a salad in. Naruto commented on the large amount of food she was making. Karin grinned back at him.

"Well, if I know you, you've been trying to survive on ramen. So, I'm trying to get as many nutrients in you as I can."

"What's wrong with ramen?" Karin laughed. They sat and talked for a while, Karin curious to know what Naruto had been up to and what he thought of everything he had seen. Naruto didn't know how to bring up the subject on which he was most concerned, but as they finished their lunch, Karin brought it up for him.

"Well, we won't be able to do this much longer." She leaned forward with her chin in her hand and grinned sadly at him.

"Why not? Are you going someplace?"

Karin shook her head. "No, but it's expected that Sasuke will let Suigetsu turn me soon, what with you living here now. That was his main excuse for not allowing me to be a vampire, since it was my job to watch out for you. And once I'm turned, I'll technically be a member of Akatsuki. I don't know if you noticed or not, but Sasuke doesn't trust them. As a human, Sasuke trusts me; he won't trust me as a vampire."

That was what Naruto expected, but now that the topic was brought up, he could discuss with her what he really wanted to.

"If you know that Sasuke won't trust you because of who your sire is, why don't you have someone that he trusts turn you? Like Kakashi, or Kiba, or someone else."

"Because I want to be Suigetsu's fledgling. Besides, I'm close enough to them now that I don't think Sasuke would trust me regardless." She laughed. "Besides, I doubt I could get any of them to turn me. They have a thing about making new vampires. The last one they turned was Iruka, and that was a while ago. Akatsuki are much more willing to turn someone than not."

This fact seemed to please Karin, but it was an alarming thought for Naruto. Was it possible that Akatsuki were purposefully turning more vampires than those that Sasuke trusted? It would make sense that if they were planning a rebellion they would want to recruit. He eyed Karin carefully. Maybe there was still a chance to recruit her to Sasuke's side.

"Look, Karin, I think that Sasuke doesn't trust them for a reason. Maybe you shouldn't either." Karin sighed, and Naruto knew that she disagreed. Before she could open her mouth to argue, Naruto continued. "If it came down to it, and Akatsuki turned against Sasuke, who would you side with?" Karin looked surprised at his question. "If you had to choose, would you betray Sasuke?"

Karin never answered.

* * *

His discussion with Karin gave Naruto an idea. Sasuke needed more vampires that he trusted than those that he didn't trust. That meant that he would have to start convincing his friends to turn more people into vampires. He was torn about this, since this would include ending someone's life as they knew it. But, if it meant to save Sasuke, it would be worth it. And maybe they could find people who would willing.

The next part of his plan included finding someone who would be willing to turn that many vampires. Either that or he would have to convince all of Sasuke's friends to turn one. He supposed he should get started.

He came across Shikamaru first. He supposed he should apologize for yesterday while he was at it. He slid into the seat across from Shikamaru and waited for him to notice that he was there. Shikamaru's head remained resting on the back of his seat.

"Hey Shikamaru. How you doing?" Shikamaru rolled his head to look at Naruto. He shrugged. "So, sorry about yesterday." He went to continue, but Shikamaru flicked his hand, as if flicking away an annoying insect.

"Don't worry about it." Silence fell between them while Naruto collected his thoughts.

"So, Shikamaru, you seem like a pretty cool guy." Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. "Have you ever thought about becoming a daddy?" Shikamaru finally opened his eyes and sat up straight to stare at Naruto.

"I'm not going to turn you, Naruto." Naruto shook his head.

"No, not me! I was thinking, there was this bartender at the club, big guy. He'd be a good vampire, don't you think? He already looks like one."

Shikamaru observed him for several moments. "Why do you want me to take a fledgling?" Naruto chewed his lip before replying.

"Well, I was talking to Karin today. She is positive that Suigetsu will turn her soon. And if a loser like him gets to take a fledgling, someone as awesome as you should be able to as well." Naruto could tell that Shikamaru was analyzing him. He flicked his eyes to where Suigetsu was sitting, before returning his eyes to Naruto.

"But I don't want a fledgling." The underlying question was there, and Naruto heard it loud and clear. _"What are you up to?"_ He considered his options. Shikamaru was smart, and he was probably close to figuring out his motives. If Shikamaru did figure it out, Naruto knew that he would tell Sasuke. That would probably be a bad thing.

"Well, okay then. It was just a thought. Talk to you later!" Naruto got up to go look for another candidate, but he could feel Shikamaru's suspicious eyes on his back as he walked across the room.

* * *

"Kiba!"

Said man turned to face him. "Hey Naruto. What's up?"

Naruto grinned widely. Kiba would be perfect! Not smart enough to figure out Naruto's motives, but strong enough to train a new vampire. "Well, I have an idea."

Kiba laughed. "Uh-oh. That's never good." Naruto punched him lightly on the arm.

"Shut up or I won't tell you." Kiba apologized, laughingly, and Naruto continued. "I think that you should take a fledgling."

Kiba sobered quickly. "No thanks, Naruto. I rather like my head attached to my shoulders."

Naruto sighed. "Not me!" Kiba sighed in relief.

"Then who?"

"Well, surely someone like you would have a few candidates." Naruto grinned wider, and waggled his eyebrows in suggestion.

"Um, not really." He paused. "And I don't think that I'd be a very good sire. It takes a lot of responsibility. And effort." Kiba scratched his head, then nodded in confirmation.

Naruto huffed in frustration.

* * *

"Kakashi! Iruka!" Naruto flopped down on the sofa between two of his favorite people.

"Hello Naruto. How are you today?" Naruto went to reply, but Kakashi interrupted with a grin, "Any plans for your death today?" Naruto's jaw dropped and Iruka chuckled. Naruto huffed and leaned back into his seat. He supposed it wouldn't be fair to ask Kakashi to take another fledgling when he was already still training Iruka. And Iruka was still too young.

"Fine then." Naruto got up to leave, but Kakashi's light voice and Iruka's laugh followed him out of the room.

"Stay out of trouble!"

* * *

"Ino! Have you ever wanted a younger sister?" Ino slowly looked up from her book to stare at Naruto.

"No. Why?"

"I think it'd be great if you could find someone to turn. Doesn't it get lonely?"

Ino looked carefully around the room filled with other vampires. "No."

"But, there's a lot more guys than girls, right? Don't you think you should even it out a bit?" Ino snorted.

"No." There was a growl behind him, and Naruto turned slowly to see Sakura staring daggers at him.

"Right, then. I'll just be going now."

* * *

"Hi Hinata." Hinata waved. "Neji." Neji inclined his head slightly. "So," pause, "have either of you ever thought of taking on a fledgling?"

Naruto never realized that a vampire could blush. Neji's eyes narrowed as Hinata stuttered out an "Oh Naruto!"

"Not me!" Naruto was quick to amend. He'd have to be more careful with how he phrased that from now on.

Neji's eyes were no longer narrowed, but he still seemed overly curious. Hinata looked like she was about to faint. Naruto sighed. "Maybe not."

* * *

"Well, if you were to have a fledgling, don't you think that would the ultimate journey of self exploration?"

Tenten considered the question before replying. "No. One must know oneself before one can take to responsibility for the care of another. If not, the fledgling could end up confused and the result would be disastrous."

Naruto looked back blankly. "You don't know who you are?"

"Do any of us know who we are?" Naruto shifted nervously. That question was a bit too close to home.

* * *

Choji considered Naruto's question. Naruto held his breath in anticipation. This was it!

"No. There'd be more competition for food. That wouldn't be good."

No force on earth could prevent Naruto from letting his head hit his hand.

* * *

"…"

"…"

"So, that's a no then?" Shino still didn't answer. Naruto shifted. "So, I'll just…" Shino got up and left. Naruto stared at his back. "Ok then."

* * *

Naruto collapsed onto a plush chair. This was ridiculous. It shouldn't be this hard to convince vampires to make other vampires. He was about to give up and try to think of another way to save Sasuke, when he saw a flash of green. Curious, he got up and followed it.

Lee! Lee was perfect! He'd bet all his ramen that he would be able to convince Lee to form an entire army for Sasuke. He called out to him. Lee was in front of him even before he could finish Lee's name.

"My friend! How can I help you?"

Naruto weighed his words carefully before replying. "I'm a little worried, Lee." Lee gasped.

"Whatever for? You should have no worries!" Naruto nodded.

"Well, I've noticed that half of Sasuke's coven is very…unyouthful." Lee gasped again, but Naruto continued before he could be interrupted again. "I'm worried that their unyouthfulness might start to affect Sasuke."

"No! It is my charge from my sire to protect Sasuke from those who threaten his youthfulness. Something must be done!" Lee jumped up to leave, but Naruto grabbed his arm.

"I have an idea, Lee." Lee sat back down and looked at him expectantly. "Well, I was thinking that what we need is several more…youthful individuals to combat the growing …unyouthfulness." Naruto felt so stupid, but it seemed to be working. "Sort of like a youthful army."

Lee considered. "You are suggesting that I turn vampires in order to form a youthful army?"

Naruto nodded sagely. "I know. But it's to protect Sasuke. And you want to protect Sasuke, right?" Lee nodded quickly.

"Of course I do! But to turn so many…"

"I know, I know. It's quite an undertaking. I wouldn't trust anyone but you. If anyone can successfully turn so many people, and not abuse them, it would be you." Lee seemed to still be hesitant. He just needed one last push. Naruto reached forward and patted Lee's shoulder. "I really think that this would be the best way to spread the youth."

Lee finally nodded, mostly to himself. "I will turn a hundred vampires or starve myself." Naruto bit his lip.

"Lee, I don't think that's a good punishment…" But Lee was already gone. Naruto shrugged. His job was done, and Sasuke's army was as good as formed.

He decided to award himself with a couple cups of ramen for a job well done.

* * *

Naruto was rather pleased with himself by the time he was headed to see Sasuke. Unfortunately for him, Sasuke was looking rather smug when Naruto entered his study.

"Hello, Naruto. How are you today?"

"Fine," Naruto replied carefully before settling himself in his normal chair across from Sasuke. Sasuke's smirk widened.

"And what have you been up to?"

'_Uh-oh.'_ "Oh, you know, the usual."

"Is that so? I heard that you were quite busy today."

Naruto tried to remain nonchalant. "Oh? Who told you that?"

"Well, first from Shikamaru. He told me that you were concerned about some members, namely Akatsuki, recruiting."

"I never said that!" Naruto shrieked. "I never said that! Why'd he say that?"

Sasuke chuckled ominously. "Shikamaru is very observant. He also noticed that you were trying to convince some of your friends to take fledglings. This all happened after your conversation with Karin. From there, Shikamaru reached some conclusions. Is he correct?"

Naruto mumbled under his breath. When he noticed that Sasuke was still waiting for a comprehensible reply, he spoke louder. "Yes. And you should be too! You're insane if you think you have any control over them. They're going to turn against you, and then where are you going to be? Do you have any kind of back up plan for when they do turn against you?"

Sasuke leaned forward in his chair. "I have a secret for you, Naruto. I am not insane, nor am I stupid. As for Akatsuki, please do not worry your pretty little head about them. I know I have very limited control over them, but they are serving their purpose." Naruto wasn't sure that he believed Sasuke, but he was still holding on to Lee. Lee was his secret weapon.

"You said "first Shikamaru." Who was second?"

Sasuke's mouth twitched before he replied. "Kakashi."

"I never even asked Kakashi. What reason could he possibly have to be suspicious?" Sasuke just continued to grin. "Oh, Kakashi is one of your spies, isn't he?" Sasuke nodded once. "So, is that it, or did any of your other spies report to you?"

The humor in Sasuke's face was apparent. "Lee."

Naruto sat up straight in his chair in alarm. "What did he say?"

"He wished to ask permission to…" To Naruto's surprise, Sasuke started to laugh. It was soft, but it was there. It was the most happy and most relaxed that Naruto had ever seen him. "Dear Lord, Naruto, what did you do to poor Lee? He asked if he could raise an army of youthful soldiers for my protection." Naruto mumbled again under his breath, to which Sasuke replied, "Poor, poor Lee."

Lee was his last resort. Now what was he going to do? Naruto frantically started to think of what he could do to protect Sasuke, but it was difficult to think with said man sitting across from him and grinning.

"I think that you are bored. Do you need something to distract you?" Naruto looked back at Sasuke suspiciously.

"Depends."

The grin on Sasuke's face became a little stiff. "Go on a date with me."

Naruto stopped himself from his hasty reply. "Where?"

Sasuke shrugged. "What is standard now a days when one goes on a date?"

"Movie and a dinner?" Naruto hadn't been on many dates, but it was what he had seen on his crappy reruns. Sasuke seemed content with that suggestion. He nodded once and relaxed back into his seat.

"The day after tomorrow, then."

"Why not tomorrow?" The question was out of his mouth before he could stop himself. He hoped that Sasuke would take his eagerness for getting out of the house, and not going on the date with Sasuke.

"Well, that was something I wished to discuss with you. Tomorrow, I want you to promise me that you will not leave your room." Naruto went to voice his displeasure, but Sasuke interrupted him. "Members from a neighboring coven will be visiting tomorrow. I have so far been unable to convert them to my philosophy regarding feeding, and I hope that the negotiations will be complete tomorrow. I would rather you not run the chance of coming into contact with them."

Naruto allowed the fact that other, unknown vampires would be coming tomorrow and the fact that Sasuke seemed concerned about it. "Are they that bad?"

The corner of Sasuke's mouth twitched before he replied. "They would not hesitate to kill you. And not necessarily for food." Sasuke paused to let the full weight sink into Naruto's thick skull. "So, will you promise me that you will stay in your room? And if you behave all day tomorrow, and keep your promise, I will take you on a date the following day."

Naruto sighed. "I promise, then."

* * *

If Naruto had thought that he was bored before, he was just about dead now. It was physically painful, sitting up in his room when he had grown so accustomed to having free reign of the house. But, he was nothing if not a man of his word.

Kiba had brought him some food, another overly lavish meal, and the book from Sasuke's study that he had been reading. Naruto had asked him how negotiations were going. Kiba had just grunted at him and said they weren't before reminding Naruto to lock the door and leaving again.

Naruto had read the book for a couple of hours before his eyes started to cross and he decided to take a break. He was sitting near the window and staring outside and over the garden with his back to the door, which is why he didn't notice the sand that started pouring in through the keyhole and underneath the door. He also didn't notice when a man materialized out of that sand. He couldn't help but notice that eerie feeling of someone staring at him though.

Naruto stood from his seat and turned around slowly. He didn't recognize the person standing in front of him, so he assumed that this was someone from the other coven that Sasuke was so worried about and knew he had to be very careful.

"Hi…" Naruto tried. The red-haired man continued to just stand there and stare at him. "My name's Naruto. And you are…?" Nothing. Naruto looked more closely at the intruder. He was about his own height, with bright red hair and startling aqua eyes that were narrowed in thought. It was obscured by the man's hair, but Naruto could just see a marking of some sort on the man's forehead. Naruto's eyes flicked to the door. To his unease, it was still locked. That was definitely not good. He decided to try again.

"So, are you from that coven that Sasuke was meeting today?" If the man had eyebrows, they would have raised. Maybe he should let this man know that he knew why he was in Sasuke's house. "How are negotiations going?" There was finally a reaction from the man, but it was something that Naruto would not have preferred. The man started to move closer to Naruto. Naruto backed into the wall, and tried to think of something to stop the man. "Don't you think you should be returning to the meeting? Sasuke might be missing you." To Naruto's horror, the man continued to move forward.

When the man was right in front of him, Naruto opened his mouth to scream, but the man's hand was clasped tightly around his jaw. Naruto's fisted hand came up to collide with man's face. He didn't even flinch, didn't even move. Naruto's hand hurt more than he thought this man's face hurt. Instead, his wrist was caught in a vice grip and slammed against the wall. And when Naruto tried to kick out, his body was pinned by the other man.

He seemed oblivious to Naruto's struggling. _'Oh God, he's going to kill me! Sasuke, where are you?'_ And then the man's mouth was covering Naruto's. Naruto tried to jerk his head away, but the grip on his jaw kept it in place. Soon, Naruto felt claws pressing into his wrist and jaw. He tried to stop it, but the yelp of pain allowed the man entrance into his mouth. The tongue under his pulled it into the stranger's mouth. Nothing prepared him for the keen sharp pain of a fang sinking into his tongue. His scream at the back of throat was muffled by the other's mouth and the blood that was now freely pooling in his mouth.

Through the lightheadedness, Naruto heard a snarl. And then the stranger was being ripped away from him. His knees started to go out from underneath him, but Iruka was there, holding him up.

"Gaara, explain yourself." Naruto was never so happy to hear Sasuke's cold, commanding voice. Sasuke wasn't alone. Two other non-familiar faces were standing next to the man- Gaara, Sasuke had called him. Neji, Kiba, and Kakashi were also there, standing between the strangers and Naruto.

"I was curious." Sasuke's low growl showed his displeasure at Gaara's answer. "I was trying to find a reason as to why you would take a pet." Gaara's eyes flicked back to Naruto, but the line of sight was quickly obscured by Sasuke's back.

"Naruto is a guest in my house. Other than that, he is none of your concern." Gaara shifted, but Sasuke continued. "Neji, Kakashi. Please escort our guests back downstairs. I will be down shortly." Neji and Kakashi shifted to flank the strangers. Gaara took one last look at Naruto before he turned and left.

Once they had left the room, Sasuke turned to face Naruto. Naruto held back the flinch as he saw Sasuke's vibrant red eyes. Sasuke raked his eyes over Naruto, and growled low in his throat when he saw the imprints of Gaara's claws in his skin. Naruto rubbed at his wrist to get the marks out. "Kiba, Iruka. You will guard his door for the duration of the negotiations. Go." Iruka gently let Naruto go before heading to the door with Kiba. Naruto swayed slightly, but with the adrenaline leaving his system, he could at least stand on his own. When the door closed firmly behind Kiba and Iruka, Sasuke growled out, "I was a fool not to leave guards for you before."

Naruto shrugged and smiled weakly at Sasuke. He couldn't let Sasuke beat himself up. "For the record, I didn't break my promise. I'm still in my room." Sasuke grinned weakly back at him, and Naruto sighed in relief as he saw Sasuke's eyes fade from red to black. The grin also slowly faded, though, as Sasuke took a delicate sniff of the air.

"You are bleeding." Sasuke's eyes roamed Naruto's body again, looking for any injuries he had previously missed. Naruto stuck out his bloody tongue.

"'e 'it mi tongue." Sasuke reached forward and grabbed Naruto's tongue and applied pressure to the wound. "Ow!" Slowly, the bleeding stopped and Sasuke pulled on his tongue to check on it before letting it go. Naruto quickly brought it back into his mouth and rolled it over in his mouth to feel the puncture wound.

Sasuke sighed. "I suppose I should get back down. You are all right?"

Naruto nodded. Sasuke turned to leave, but Naruto called back out to him. "I still get my date, right?" Sasuke faced him and smiled.

"Of course. Tomorrow, then." And then Sasuke was out the door.

"Bye." Naruto was left waving at empty air, but there was huge smile on his face. He couldn't wait for tomorrow to come.


	8. Chapter 7: Seeking Sasuke

**Thank you for the feedback! Hope you enjoy this chapter…I finally feel like I'm getting somewhere.**

* * *

**Chapter 7: Seeking Sasuke**

Nervous, Naruto ended up staying up most of the day trying to prepare himself for that evening's date. Mostly this meant that he took a long shower and decided what to wear (black dress pants with a button down red shirt). The rest of the day Naruto tried to sleep, but the different possible scenarios that could happen ended up keeping him awake.

He was concerned about what Sasuke would expect from him. He had joked about being Sasuke's chew toy, but was that going to be the end result of their date? He rolled his tongue over and felt Gaara's inflicted wound and decided he wasn't quite sure he was ready for that. This also would be his first date, ever, and it was with someone he had only known for about a month, and only stopped screaming and running in fear from for a little over a week. True, he had kissed Sasuke, if a brushing of lips could be considered a kiss. He was positive he wasn't ready to be doing anything more…committed… than that brushing of lips, but if he learned one thing from his encounter with Gaara it was that it was pretty much pointless to struggle. If Sasuke decided to progress their relationship faster than what Naruto was prepared for, there was very little he could do to stop it.

Despite his fears, he was excited about his date. He would be getting out of this house, and he was excited about a change in scenery. But he was also excited about being alone with Sasuke. Here in the house, there was always another vampire not too far away. Back in the village, there would be no one to interrupt them. Of course, the flip side to that was that there would be no one to save him either.

Annoyed with his conflicting feelings, Naruto flopped back on his bed. Since Naruto had been here, and excluding the _how_ of how he arrived here, Sasuke had been very good to him. Kakashi assured him that Sasuke would never push or pressure him. So it was unfair to Sasuke to be expecting the worse from him on their date.

With these thoughts in mind, he resolved himself to be optimistic about their date.

* * *

Naruto hadn't realized he had fallen asleep until he was waking up. That was the first thing he realized. The second thing he realized was that it was dark out. Panicked, he shot up in bed…and almost slammed face first into Iruka.

Iruka chuckled. "Good evening, Naruto." Several thoughts ran through his mind, from Sasuke being insulted that Naruto was sleeping and canceling their date to Sasuke simply leaving without him. Iruka didn't take long to relieve Naruto of his panic. "Sasuke would like an hour to get ready for your date. Is that all right with you?" Naruto sighed in relief.

"Yeah. That's fine." Naruto sat back down on the bed and let his heart rate calm. "Why does he need to get ready?"

"Well, I suppose he wants to insure that there are no…mishaps tonight. He is out feeding." Naruto shuddered.

Iruka went to leave, but Naruto stopped him. "You can stay, if you want. If there's nothing else you have to do." Iruka smiled at him and sat on the edge of the bed.

"I have nothing else to do. Are you ready for tonight?" Naruto stopped halfway to the bathroom and faced Iruka.

"Um…sure." Iruka waved Naruto off. He cleaned himself up and was in the process of brushing his teeth with Iruka answered him.

"Don't be nervous." Naruto eyed him warily. It would have been more impressive if he didn't look like he was foaming at the mouth. "I'm serious. You have nothing to be worried about." Naruto spat and rinsed his mouth before answering.

"Says you. You're a vampire. You'd at least have a chance…" Naruto cut himself off, but Iruka seemed to get the hint. The affect of Gaara's assault was still fresh in his mind.

"Not really. I'm still a fledgling, and still comparatively a lot weaker. But I can guarantee you that Sasuke will not push you into anything you aren't ready for."

"How can you guarantee that?"

"Well, because I know him. There are two points in your favor. The first is how he was raised."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Yea, in the same way Itachi was, right? That's not realling comforting, Iruka."

Iruka chuckled. "Yes, but even Itachi was taught the basic terms of chivalry. He just chooses not to follow them. Sasuke, on the other hand, does." Naruto paused in pulling his pants up. Perhaps he should dress more casually?

"Chivalry's dead." He decided to go with jeans instead. Iruka's laugh caused him to pause.

"Yes, or un-dead in this case." Naruto caught the meaning and smiled back.

"But, surely after all these years, Sasuke would have out grown his early teachings?"

"I was curious as well," Iruka said. "I asked Kakashi, who has always been with Sasuke, basically that same question. He said that Sasuke has never dated anyone before you. He believes, then, that Sasuke will fall back on what he was taught."

Naruto had finished buttoning his jeans and was looking through his closet for a different shirt. "He's never been on a date before?"

"Have you?"

"No. But Sasuke's a lot older than me. By a lot." Naruto finally found a more casual button up shirt. It was bright orange, but Sasuke could just suffer with the color.

"He is. But he never had time to date before." Iruka picked up the hair brush and tackled Naruto's hair.

"And he has time now?" Iruka paused in his attempts to tame his hair.

"No. But he is now making time for you." Naruto chewed his lip and wondered if he should tell Iruka that his hair was a lost cause.

"So, what can I expect from Sasuke's "chivalry"?" He winced as Iruka pulled on a tangle.

"Well, mostly chivalry refers to acts of honor. As far as you're concerned, though, it concerns the rules of courtship." Naruto fidgeted, but Iruka wacked him on the head. "Which is why you have nothing to worry about."

"Why?" Iruka sighed and gave up on Naruto's hair.

"I can understand your concern after your little run in with Gaara. To Sasuke, pressuring the person you are courting goes against everything he has ever learned. It is shameful."

Naruto thought about that. Sasuke had been incredibly patient with him, even when he was throwing temper tantrums. "What was the second point?"

Iruka twisted the hair brush in his hands. "I'm not entirely sure that Sasuke even knows how to let anyone get close to him, especially someone he cares about. He is incredibly strong, both physically and in his convictions. But," Iruka paused before he continued, gathering his thoughts to form an opinion. "But, I think emotionally, he is still that child, waiting for someone to come home. Furthermore, I think he is scared."

"Scared? Of what?" The thought that Sasuke could be scared was foreign to Naruto. Even when Naruto thought it was warranted.

"Of you. Or," Iruka continued quickly before Naruto could interrupt, "the thought of hurting you. You are incredibly precious to him. If anything, Sasuke will tend to be overly cautious in his protections of you."

Naruto didn't think that one could be "overly cautious" when dealing with a vampire, but he didn't voice his opinion. Most of his nerves were calmed, though, and he was mostly looking forward to his time with Sasuke. He finally looked at himself in the mirror. He actually looked half-way decent. Iruka was standing by the door. "Are you ready?" Naruto thought it over. He imagined Sasuke, two days ago, when he was happy. He wanted to see Sasuke like that again.

"Yea, I'm ready."

* * *

He met Sasuke by the front entrance, and was unsurprised to see him dressed in his usual all black garb. He nodded once to Naruto before turning and opening the door to the forest outside. Naruto forced down the bad memories of the last time he was in these woods. Sasuke's hand on his back guided him from the entrance to the trees, but no sooner had they stepped into the forest, they were stepping out of it again in front of the village.

Naruto turned to look back at the way they came. "Wait…" He definitely didn't remember the journey from the village to Sasuke's house being so short. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sasuke grin.

"All legends come from some truth. The playmates of your youth were partially correct when they said that this forest was enchanted."

"Huh. Well, that explains a lot." It didn't really, but Sasuke's chuckle was his reward.

"Let us go." The hand on Naruto's back began to nudge him forward again. They walked in silence for a bit before Naruto broke it.

"So, how did negotiations end up?" He knew he didn't imagine the dark scowl on Sasuke's face.

"Surprisingly well, after your little run in with Gaara. He agreed to our terms. I do not know if he was so compliant due to fear of retribution for his trespass, or…" Sasuke cut himself off and glanced at Naruto quickly from the corner of his eye. Naruto frowned.

"Or?"

Sasuke shrugged. "Or his time with you swayed his opinion."

Naruto wrinkled his nose and ran his tongue across the roof of his mouth. "Doubt that." Sasuke chuckled.

When they turned the corner, Naruto was unprepared for the barrage of memories. Across the street was the alley. The alley where he first learned what Sasuke was- where he saw Sasuke kill a man for trying to kill Naruto. He couldn't help how he stiffened. He felt Sasuke stiffen beside him, and Naruto immediately tried to relax. He trusted Sasuke, now, but he remembered the residual fear from that night. Having a brush with death tended to make one gun-shy.

Naruto sucked in a deep breath before forcing his feet forward. "So, why do vampires always wear all black?" He could feel Sasuke's heavy gaze on him as they walked. Eventually, Sasuke answered him.

"Force of habit, I suppose. It helps us blend into the night. As society advanced, however, the necessity is no longer there." Sasuke was still watching Naruto warily, as if waiting for him to take off running. Naruto shifted to walk closer to him, so that their shoulders bumped every once in a while.

"Yea, right. You just do it to try and look all mysterious and stuff." Sasuke finally allowed a grin to twitch to life on his face.

"You think I am mysterious? I was under the impression that you could ask me anything." Naruto laughed.

"You're right. You aren't mysterious at all. In fact, you're sort of boring." The look on Sasuke's face was priceless, and it made Naruto laugh harder. By that time, they finally made it to the movie theater. Sasuke reached forward and held the door open for Naruto, but as Naruto walked by he growled into his ear.

"If you would like, I could prove to you just how boring I am not." Sasuke's voice was polite, but the underlying threat was there. Despite that, though, Naruto was positive that the shiver that went down his spine wasn't from fear. Naruto watched as Sasuke entered behind him, but Sasuke was either oblivious to or was ignoring the effect he had on Naruto. "What would you like to watch?"

Naruto turned to see what movies were playing. He wanted to name something that Sasuke may like, but he really didn't want to watch anything gory.

"Well, there's that horror movie?" Naruto watched Sasuke consider it and hoped that he didn't like horror movies either.

"Hm. No, it might make me hungry." Naruto's jaw dropped before he caught the grin that Sasuke shot him. "How about the comedy?" Naruto sighed in relief.

"Yea that sounds good."

Sasuke checked the time and bought the tickets. "We have two hours until the movie. Let us go and get you something to eat. Any place in particular you have in mind?"

A large grin spread across his face. "Well, now that you mention it…"

* * *

Sasuke wouldn't let the expression of surprise cross his face, but his eyebrows had been raised since the sixth bowl of ramen. Naruto grinned back at him. Sasuke eyed the towers of empty ramen bowls.

"That cannot be healthy for you." Naruto stared at Sasuke in shock.

"It's ramen. Of course it's healthy!"

The eyebrow twitched again. "Is it?"

Naruto nodded sagely. "It has meat _and _vegetables in it." Sasuke rolled his eyes skyward before checking the time again.

"We still have another hour before the movie." Naruto thought a bit before he replied.

"There's a park not too far from here." Sasuke nodded once before he stood and paid for Naruto's leaning tower of ramen bowls. He then offered his arm to Naruto, who laughed, and hooked his elbow with Sasuke's.

"Is this where you say something horribly cliché like 'May I escort you?' or something like that?" Sasuke smirked at him before he straightened out his facial features.

"It would be a privilege if you would allow me to escort you to the park." Naruto laughed.

* * *

"So, how old are you exactly?" Naruto was so enjoying their walk. He was taking the time to get to know Sasuke. Not the big important things like why he believed in not killing his prey, but the general, mundane, important details. Like what his favorite color was (boring black), his favorite book (a foreign book Naruto didn't recognize), and his favorite type of ramen (the poor soul never had it- was a vampire before it was invented, which led to the current question). And to his pleasure, Sasuke returned his questions. Albeit, it was with a gruff 'And you?' and Naruto was positive that Sasuke already knew the answers, but for the first time it felt like someone was actually interested in him, in what he thought and felt. Naruto grinned and hugged Sasuke's arm closer to him. Sasuke smirked back.

"Old enough that very little surprises me." A side glance. "Well, that was until you." Naruto's eyes widened.

"Me? What did I do?" Sasuke made a frustrated noise in the back of his throat.

"Hell if I know." Naruto was about to voice his displeasure against that answer when they rounded a corner in the path. There was a couple sitting on a bench, kissing each other rather passionately. Naruto grinned at them, and once they passed aw'ed. Sasuke wrinkled his nose in disgust.

"You don't think that's cute?" Sasuke scoffed.

"Apparently, I am also old enough to have been raised in very different times. What you see as 'cute' I see as distasteful." Naruto laughed.

"You're a prude!"

"I am not a prude. I believe in a time and a place for that type of behavior. I also believe that it is disrespectful to your partner to expose them like that." Naruto considered Sasuke's opinion.

"Maybe, at first. But over time, and with someone really special, maybe not. To allow that person to have such an affect on you that makes you loose control of your reservations." Sasuke sighed.

"You have seen the effects of my loosing control. I would not want that to happen with you."

Naruto huffed at the reminder and shook his head. "Yea, but that was in anger. I'm talking about passion." Sasuke looked at him straight in the eye.

"That is a fine line. One I am not comfortable walking."

Naruto watched as Sasuke returned to facing forward, and didn't bring it back up as they continued walking. He could feel Sasuke withdraw from him, and it frustrated him. Sasuke had answered all of his questions, but physically, he was still holding back. There was a tenseness holding stiff throughout his body, allowing Naruto's touches, but not returning them. He was finally able to understand what Iruka was trying to say.

Sasuke was walking on eggshells around him, afraid of hurting him or scaring him. He was being overly careful around Naruto. How was he ever going to get to know him if Sasuke wouldn't let him see who he really was? "So, how old are you? Really?" As Sasuke chuckled, Naruto knew that he wanted to see Sasuke for who he really was, vampire and all.

* * *

To be honest, Naruto wasn't sure what the movie was about. He spent most of the time watching Sasuke and trying to think of a way to get under his skin. It was apparent to Naruto that Sasuke didn't quite trust himself around him yet. Naruto knew that he trusted Sasuke, but he wasn't sure how to convince Sasuke to trust himself. He knew that part of the problem was that Sasuke was a vampire. Was that it then? Was Sasuke afraid that he would bite Naruto? Naruto rolled his tongue back and over Gaara's wound. The pain wasn't really all that bad; the initial bite hurt, but after that…granted, Naruto's memory was fuzzy with the fear of an unknown vampire attacking him. But, Naruto didn't think he would mind if it was Sasuke.

Perhaps Sasuke was afraid that he wouldn't be able to stop. Which was a stupid argument, since every time Sasuke fed, he was exercising his control. Perhaps Sasuke's reluctance in letting Naruto close didn't have anything to do with him being a vampire. Sasuke had lost everyone he loved at a young age- maybe he was afraid to let anyone close for fear of losing them. Naruto sighed. He wasn't sure how he could convince Sasuke to let his guard down, if that was the case.

Regardless of the "why," Naruto still had no idea how to tell Sasuke that it was okay to relax around him. He had a couple of ideas, but there were too many possible outcomes for him to be comfortable acting on any of them.

"Did you enjoy the movie?" Naruto looked up startled to see that the credits were rolling.

"It was all right. Did you like it?" Sasuke grinned.

"Some of the cultural references, I did not understand. But all in all, it was all right."

They left and headed back to the house. Naruto was expecting to step through the woods and be back at the house, much like when they came into the village, but to his amusement, the path seemed to have extended, with the house no where in sight. Enchanted woods, indeed. Apparently, Sasuke didn't want the date to end either. Naruto tested his theory by reaching forward and linking his fingers with Sasuke's. Sasuke glanced sideways at Naruto before tightening the hold. Naruto smiled brightly at him. "Thanks for taking me out today, Sasuke."

Sasuke inclined his head. "You are most welcome. I enjoyed our time together."

There was a half-baked plan forming in Naruto's head. He knew what was at risk, and so he was careful to consider the different possible outcomes. After weighing the risks, he carefully replied, "Do I get my goodnight kiss?" Sasuke froze. Naruto waited for Sasuke to respond. After several minutes and still no response, Naruto walked around to face him.

Carefully, Naruto leaned up and kissed Sasuke gently on his mouth. Still no response. Naruto forced himself to not get frustrated, and tried again. He kissed Sasuke harder the second time. He didn't let go of Sauske's hand, and with his free hand he reached up and stroked the side of Sasuke's face. For a moment, Naruto was afraid that he was mistaken, that he had misunderstood. But then, finally, Sasuke responded. There was a hand at his hip, griping and pushing him backwards so that his back hit a tree. The hand that was holding his own hand twisted so it could pin his hand next to his hand. The low growl at the back of Sasuke's throat was the only warning Naruto had before Sasuke allowed his mouth to open under Naruo's attack.

It was the opportunity that Naruto was waiting for.

Naruto curled his tongue so that the tip pulled at the back of Sasuke's front teeth, then ran it across his teeth to the right until he finally found the sharp canine he had been looking for. Carefully, he scraped the top of his tongue across the canine until he found the dip of the fresh wound. He mentally braced himself before pressing his tongue up, tearing open the still healing muscle. The blood immediately started to pool in Sasuke's mouth. Sasuke flinched back at the taste and tried to break the kiss, but Naruto followed his mouth and gripped the hair at the nape of Sasuke's neck. Naruto knew he had to be patient and wait for the pressure of the pooling blood to force Sasuke to swallow. His patience was rewarded.

The moment Sasuke swallowed, Naruto could feel a change overcome Sasuke. He pushed closer to Naruto and sucked hard on his tongue. Naruto could feel Sasuke's canines extending into fangs on either side of his tongue. There was a final push into Naruto's body, and then, with a snarl, Sasuke jerked his head away.

"You…Naruto…what is wrong with you?" Sasuke's eyes were squeezed shut and his muscles were twitching with the effort to restrain himself. Naruto leaned forward and kissed Sasuke's jaw gently.

"Sasuke. Sasuke, it's okay." Sasuke growled. Naruto knew a warning when he got one, and remained very still while Sasuke recollected himself. Finally, Sasuke leaned back to gaze at Naruto.

"What were you thinking?" Naruto waited for Sasuke's eyes to return to solid black before he answered.

"I'm tired of you trying to hold back for me. I thought…"

"Did you think that I am holding back for a good reason?"

Naruto forced his frustration down. "Yes, but I really can't think of a good reason."

Sasuke snarled. "Really? Perhaps you would like a reminder. I am a monster, Naruto."

It was Naruto's turn to snarl back. "You aren't, Sasuke. Are you afraid you'll hurt me if you allow yourself to get close to me?" Sasuke didn't answer, didn't have to answer. His level glare was enough of an answer. "Why? Or was your entire "no-kill" policy thing a lie?"

"It is not, but that is different."

"How is it different?" Sasuke punched the tree next to Naruto's head. Naruto was very proud of himself that he didn't flinch.

"Because you are not a source of food."

Naruto huffed and considered his options. "I'm trying, Sasuke. But you have to meet me half-way. I can't be with you if you aren't willing to let yourself be with me. Are you going to let me go?"

The grip on his hand tightened. "I cannot."

"Then you're going to have to get over your insecurities, Sasuke." Sasuke went to reply, but Naruto stopped him with a hand clamped down on his mouth. "And don't tell me you aren't insecure. You are or you would trust yourself with me. I'm not afraid of you Sasuke." Sasuke searched Naruto's face for any sign that he was lying. Naruto let him, knowing that he wouldn't find any trace of deception.

Finally, something shifted in Sasuke's eyes, and he leaned forward and rested his head on Naruto's shoulder. Naruto tilted his head to kiss Sasuke's temple. "It's okay, Sasuke. I'm here."

* * *

Naruto stayed up all day formulating plans and back-up plans. If there was one thing he knew he had to do, he knew that he had to face the darkest parts of Sasuke. If he could do that, and not flinch away, then maybe Sasuke would realize that he wasn't going to leave. This slightly concerned him, but he steeled his resolve. He had already seen Sasuke kill a man, so he was almost positive that very little else would be able to phase him.

The first thing he had to do was see Sasuke feed. During his time at Sasuke's house, he had learned the schedule. Sasuke had split the coven in half, making sure that each half had enough of the people he trusted to watch out for Akatsuki. They went out alternating nights, most usually to the night club where he met Sasuke. He remembered asking Choji why they continued to go someplace where people might catch on. Choji had laughed and said that the rumors of the club were part of its allure, and since no one actually went missing or ended up dead, no one was really scared. The opposite, people came from far and wide for a chance to be a "vampire's victim." Naruto remembered wrinkling his nose in confusion, much to Choji's amusement. "You'd be surprised," he'd said.

Tonight was supposed to be Sasuke's night. He had worried that maybe Sasuke wouldn't go out tonight, since he went last night, but the groups had been carefully selected. Sasuke would go, if only for the purpose of keeping an eye on those that needed to feed. The problem was convincing Sasuke to take him with them on their hunting trip. Naruto knew that there was no way that Sasuke would agree to it, but he was pretty sure he could convince at least on of his friends to sneak him along. Fortunately for him, they tended to go in waves- apparently even vampires sometimes had difficulty waking up. Even more fortunately for him, Kiba was going out tonight, and he always ran late. He also always swung by the house, just in case there were any other last minute stragglers, so Naruto would make sure that he would be able to catch him before he left.

With his plan in mind, Naruto was finally able to sleep. He drifted off, remembering Sasuke's hand running down his spine, and whispered words in his ear. "You taste like ramen."

* * *

"Kiba! Bud! I have a favor to ask you." Kiba eyed him warily, frozen from running off after a brief glance around the lounge.

"Hey Naruto. Um…can this wait? I have to…uh…" Naruto stopped Kiba from trying to stutter out an excuse.

"Yes, I know where you're going Kiba. And no, this can't wait. I want to come with you." It was worth it to see the look that crossed Kiba's face.

"Are you kidding?"

Naruto shook his head. "Nope. I'm bored and want to go out. What's the big deal, anyway? I've been there before." Kiba opened and closed his mouth a bit, looking rather like a fish out of water.

"But…you, and…But, Sasuke would…I have to..." A few more moments of incoherency, and then Kiba reached forward and grabbed Naruto's wrist. As he was dragging Naruto out of the house, Naruto heard him mutter, "Oh, Sasuke is not going to like this."


	9. Chapter 8: Slow Dancing

**Just for heads up, I'll be gone and without a computer for a week- 'tis the season for weddings after all (a cousin and two friends)- so the next chapter may be a bit delayed. **

**Thank you for such wonderful feedback! I hope this chapter won't disappoint.**

* * *

**Chapter Eight: Slow Dancing**

"Oh, Kiba, Sasuke's going to kill you!" Karin seemed highly amused by this. Kiba flinched.

The trip to get to the club had been tense. Several times, Kiba had tried to convince Naruto to go back to the house, but Naruto always refused. Naruto had no illusions that if Kiba hadn't been so hungry, he would have forced Naruto back himself. As it was, Kiba flinched anytime Naruto came close to him, and Naruto knew that it wasn't from anything else than restraint. Naruto used this to his advantage, though, and he was on his way to Sasuke.

When they got to the club, Kiba had grasped Naruto's elbow and, holding Naruto away at arm's length, marched him over to the bar where Karin was sitting. A look of surprise had crossed her face before it melted into one of pure glee. She had laughed for quite a bit before telling Kiba of his upcoming demise. Kiba didn't seem nearly as amused.

"You're still alive aren't you? And you did the same thing." Kiba looked decidedly nervous, and continued to scan the room, looking for an angry Sasuke. Karin's grin widened.

"Yea, but I'm human." Kiba gulped. "He'll have no problem taking your head off and setting it on fire."

Kiba gazed longingly at the bar. "I wish I could still drink." Naruto decided it was time to intervene.

"It's not Kiba's fault. I made him bring me." Karin scoffed.

"Yea, and a fully mature vampire can be made to do something by a human. Sasuke's going to kill him!" Kiba groaned.

"Excuse me, I'm going to go find someone who's completely wasted." Kiba wondered off into the depths of the club. Naruto watched him go before turning to Karin.

"Would that actually work?" Karin shrugged.

"I don't know. If the blood alcohol concentration's high enough…?" They considered that, before Karin had Naruto by the elbow. "Well, more than likely Sasuke already knows you're here. Let's go find him." Naruto grinned and looked around for Sasuke.

He didn't have to look far.

Sasuke was sitting not too far away with a rather nasty glare on his face. Naruto was having a strange sense of déjà vu, but this time, the look amused him rather than scared him. When Sasuke saw that he had Naruto's attention, he stood and closed the short distance between them. He broke his gaze from Naruto to shoot Karin a questioning look. Karin was quick to alleviate the blame from herself.

"I didn't bring him, Sasuke! It's not my fault this time."

"I am aware, Karin. I saw Kiba bring him in." Naruto thought of poor Kiba, flinching like a beaten dog.

"Don't blame him, Sasuke. I invited myself. Kiba tried to stop me, but I ended up following him anyway." Sasuke sneered.

"He could not stop you, or force you to return?" Naruto huffed in frustration and crossed his arms over his chest before leveling a glare at Sasuke.

"I can be very persuasive." The dark glare lingered on Sasuke's face for a moment longer before it lightened. He reached forward and ran a finger down the side of Naruto's face.

"Can you?" Naruto caught Sasuke's finger and placed a kiss on the tip.

"Yes."

Sasuke hummed, then twisted his hand so he could interlock Naruto's fingers with his. "You should not be here."

Naruto was getting so sick of that phrase. "Well, I'm here. I could head off on my own and try to get home, but we all know that me walking these streets at night usually doesn't end up so well." Sasuke's grip tightened at the reminder.

"So, I'll just…go, now. If you don't need me." Karin mumbled out. She took Sasuke flicking his hand as an acceptance of her retreat. She mouthed to Naruto to find her later, to which he nodded. When she had left, Sasuke pulled Naruto closer to him.

"Are you going to behave?" Naruto grinned.

"Well, I do try to stay out of trouble, despite what you think." Sasuke hummed, but then his eyes caught something over Naruto's shoulder and narrowed. Naruto turned and followed his line of sight to see Kiba coming back into the building from the alley. Kiba froze. Naruto sighed and turned back to face Sasuke. "Leave him alone, Sasuke. I brow beat him into bringing me."

Sasuke sighed. "Well, then go tell him that I will not kill him. Tonight." Naruto snorted as he started to turn away.

"I'm sure that will be comforting."

* * *

If Naruto didn't know better, he would think that Sasuke was avoiding him. Karin had reassured him, though, that that wasn't the case. The vampires had to focus while they searched out and pursued their prey, and as Karin had hinted, Naruto might be a slight bit of a distraction. Furthermore, she was pretty sure that Sasuke wouldn't want Naruto to see him feed, which Naruto expected, and so was careful to distance himself. Naruto had already missed it once- he caught sight of Sasuke reentering the building out of the corner of his eye. Frustrated, he had become dedicated to careful observation of Sasuke's movements.

Which weren't much. Mostly he just sat and brooded in the corner.

Naruto had taken up post at the bar with Karin. They had laughed each other silly by pointing out all of the silly drunk people and adding their own commentary to the slurred conversations around them.

They were in the middle of a great sequence of lame pick up lines (Do you clean your pants with Windex? Because I can see myself in them) when Naruto finally saw Sasuke move again. He watched Sasuke progress across the room and come to a stop next to a girl standing with a group of girls. He couldn't tell what caused Sasuke to single out this one girl from her companions, but Sasuke made his selection clear with a hand resting on the back of her neck and a few whispered words in her ear. She looked startled for a few moments before giggling. Sasuke offered her his arm, so much like he had done with Naruto on their date, and turned to escort her out. The girl looked back only once to wave to her giggling friends, then she was leaning her head on Sasuke's shoulder and hanging off his arm.

The anger hit Naruto harder than he thought it would. He thought he had prepared himself for this, but he had neglected to consider the reactions of the "food source." What right did this girl have to hang off Sasuke like she owned him? Naruto squeezed his eyes shut and forced himself to relax- it would only get worse from here and he had to remain calm if he was to see this through. Once he deemed himself in control, he muttered an "Excuse me," and got up to follow, but Karin's hand on his elbow stopped him.

"Naruto, you don't want to do that." She flicked her eyes to where Sasuke was patiently waiting for the girl to grab one last drink.

Naruto kept his voice even keeled when he replied. "Thank you for your concern, Karin, but I know what I want to do." What he wanted to do was rip that girls hand from Sasuke's hair where she was twirling a strand around her finger, but he didn't think Sasuke would appreciate the loss of his prey.

Karin sighed and considered Naruto. "Fine, but if you go out that way, he'll see you. I know a better way. Come on." Naruto hesitated, but then decided to follow.

She led him around the bar, waving to the bartender, and into a back staircase. At the top of the stairs, she turned right and stopped in front of the door. She tested the door knob, and shot Naruto a self-satisfied grin when the door opened. She motioned Naruto in and closed the door behind them. Looking around, Naruto saw that it was a room, even smaller than his old apartment. It looked unoccupied, though. Naruto walked across the room to the only window only to have a perfect view over looking the alley. Sasuke and his prey weren't there yet. Naruto turned a suspicious eye to Karin.

"Do I want to know how you know about this room?" Karin came up to lean against the wall next to the window.

"I used to work at this bar. This was my room, and how I found out about Sasuke and everyone. When Suigetsu approached me, I already knew what he was. When I moved in with them, I told them about this room, and Sasuke has continued to pay the bartender to keep it empty." She scowled. "Of course, he is also supposed to keep it locked. I'll have to talk with him later."

Naruto was about to ask her if the bartender knew what Sasuke was, but his attention was drawn to the movement in the alley. The girl, still giggling tripped on her way out and caught herself on the far wall. Sasuke closed the door behind him, and then simply stood there, watching the girl.

With space between them, Naruto felt himself relax. He had to admit, she was attractive- long black hair, pale skin, and curves every where. Perhaps that is why Sasuke selected her, which didn't sit well with Naruto. She was his exact opposite. If this was the type of creature Sasuke was attracted to, then why did Sasuke pursue him- blonde, tan, and most definitely male?

Words were being said, but the distance and the pane of glass prevented him from hearing what was said. The girl stumbled across the short distance to wrap her arms around Sasuke's neck, and the anger came back in full force. Naruto shifted to lean against the side of the window and crossed his arms across his chest, mostly to keep himself from hitting the window. And then Sasuke was moving, and Naruto had to bite his lip, hard, to keep from screaming.

One of Sasuke's arms came up behind her and crossed across her lower back to pull her even closer to him. His other hand came up to cradle the back of her head. Carefully, carefully, he tilted her head back. The girl had her eyes closed and a small blissful smile on her face. Naruto wanted to rip it off of her. Sasuke leaned forward, tracing his lips along her jaw line to her throat. From the angle of Sasuke's head, Naruto couldn't see the actual bite, but he saw the girl's reaction- a wince, and Sasuke pulled her closer, and then she _melted_ into him. Naruto had to turn away.

He had prepared himself for the wrong thing. He had been expecting something like the night when Sasuke killed his would-be mugger- screams and struggles. He supposed that was what happened when Sasuke wasn't careful. But when Sasuke was being careful, it looked damn erotic. If he hadn't known that Sasuke was a vampire and she was his prey, he would have thought they were two lovers in an alley. The anger grew into jealousy. It wasn't a foreign feeling; growing up, Naruto had been jealous of all the other children who had families and homes. But the intensity of the feeling was new. It made him want to scream and hit something, preferably the girl.

But what he also wasn't prepared for was the overwhelming sadness. Sasuke pulled this girl close to him, and yet he always held Naruto at arm's length. Naruto had wanted to learn more about Sasuke, but if anything, the only thing he learned was just how far apart he and Sasuke actually were. Naruto could almost feel the wall forged between them. It left a physical ache in his chest.

"Naruto?" Naruto started. He had almost forgotten that Karin was still there. "He's done." Naruto looked back out the window. The girl was sagging in Sasuke's arms, but still alive. Naruto was vaguely surprised that he was disappointed. With an unconscious thought, Naruto's eyes trailed to her neck. There was a large red mark on her neck. It looked like a hickey. As if reading his thoughts, Karin answered his unasked question. "They can bite without leaving a mark, but if the prey is going to remember the bite in the morning, it's best to leave a hickey. And, after all, a hickey is just a bruise- a leaking of blood into the surrounding tissue."

Naruto hummed in an attempt to sound interested, but he was watching Sasuke half drag her out of the alley. He knew what would happen next. Sasuke would call a taxi, the taxi driver would think that the girl just had too much to drink and take her home, and Sasuke would come back into the bar. It was the perfect ploy. Naruto had seen enough.

Naruto stumbled out the door and down the stairs, Karin at his heels. Once more, she grabbed at his elbow, the momentum spinning Naruto around to face her.

"Cool off before you talk to Sasuke. Drink a beer. You can't change it. Sasuke has to eat." Naruto sneered.

"I would have rather he killed her." Even as he said it, he felt remorse, even before Karin slapped him.

"You have no idea how hard Sasuke, Hell, everyone in Sasuke's coven work to keep their prey alive. Do you think that…" Naruto raised his hand to stop her tirade.

"I know, Karin. I know." He knew that by keeping his prey alive, Sasuke was keeping what little of his own humanity was left alive as well. He knew how important it was to Sasuke. And he also knew that if Sasuke had ever held him like he held that girl, he wouldn't be as upset. "I'll cool down before I talk to Sasuke." Karin nodded in satisfaction before she pushed her way around Naruto and down the stairs. Naruto turned and watched her decent before sitting down on the stairs himself.

He knew what he wanted. But he couldn't have it tonight. Or tomorrow. He would have to wait until the following night, when Sasuke would be most susceptible to Naruto's arguments.

But that didn't mean he was going to let Sasuke off the hook tonight.

* * *

Naruto was half way through his second beer before he got up and walked over to where Sasuke sat in the corner. He waited until he was sitting, with his fingers laced over the mouth of his bottle and his chin resting on his fingers, before looking at Sasuke. Sasuke raised his eyebrow at him. Naruto grinned back; he finally felt calm for the first time since he came here.

"Are you done playing for tonight?" Sasuke's eyes narrowed at the question, and he searched Naruto's face.

"Yes." He replied slowly, as if testing Naruto's reaction. Naruto's grin softened.

"Good. Then you can come dance with me." Naruto almost laughed at Sasuke's expression.

"I do not think so."

"Why not? Oh, I get it. You can't dance." It was almost too easy.

"I can." The tone was insulted.

"Then you just don't want to dance with me." Sasuke's face twisted, but Naruto cut off any reply. "I'll just ask Kiba to dance with me. I'm sure he'd be more willing."

Sasuke snarled. "If he does, I will kill him." Naruto huffed to hide his grin of satisfaction. Turn about was fair play, and he was happy that Sasuke was the one who was jealous now.

"Well, I'm not going to sit here and sulk all night because you refuse to dance with me. I'll just go and find a more eager partner." Naruto downed the rest of his beer, and then he was up and moving to the dance floor. He felt Sasuke's unamused glare on his back all the way.

Despite his teasing, Naruto was dancing by himself. The music was a release that Naruto relished, and he allowed the beat to move his body, arms in the air and head thrown back. He grinned in satisfaction when he noticed several pairs of eyes on him. He just hoped that the person he wanted was watching.

His hopes were confirmed when he felt an arm snake around his waist and a low growl reverberate through his back. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sasuke glare off a young man who had gotten too close for Sasuke's comfort. Naruto glanced quickly around the bar to see his friends wide eyed with dropped jaws. Naruto felt a laugh of glee bubble in his chest at the expressions. Instead, he rested his head back on Sasuke's shoulder and arched his back. There was a warning nip at his ear.

"I thought you were going to behave." Naruto turned and wrapped his arms around Sasuke's neck. He ignored the frustration he felt when Sasuke stiffened.

"I am. I'm glad you decided to join me." Sasuke hummed and tilted his head to the side.

"You can be very persuasive."

Naruto couldn't help but to laugh. Overjoyed, he leaned forward and kissed Sasuke.

He couldn't ignore his disappointment when Sasuke didn't kiss back.

* * *

The next day, Naruto acted much like any other day. Occasionally, he would worry that Sasuke was suspicious, but the evening passed much like any other. Lee had found him and apologized profusely for failing at his task. Despite Naruto's attempts to tell him that it was okay and that they would find some other way, Lee was dead set on punishing himself. Once, on his way to his room, Naruto had happened by a window at the same time a green streak had passed by. Naruto had back tracked, but Lee was already way gone.

He had gone to bed early to insure that he would wake up before the sun set. He was waiting in the hallway when Sasuke had emerged from his room. For a moment, he had thought that Sasuke would turn around and retreat back into his room, but eventually, Sasuke approached him.

"Good evening, Naruto."

"Hi Sasuke." Naruto considered Sasuke for a moment before deciding to delay asking his question. He knew the longer he held off, the more likely Sasuke would give in. "How are you?"

Sasuke eyed Naruto warily before motioning him to walk with him. "I am well. And you?"

Naruto knew he had to draw this out. "I'm really, really good. I slept well last night, or day. I took a while to get used to such a huge bed. I think I killed poor Lee, though. I think he was doing laps around the house as punishment for you not letting him take a fledgling."

"He was. He is fine, however. And he wanted more than one fledgling." Sasuke opened his mouth to dismiss himself from Naruto, so Naruto interrupted before he could.

"That's really good. I'm glad. Are you going out tonight?" Naruto knew the answer, but wanted Sasuke to answer anyway.

"Yes." Sasuke paused, as if trying to figure out what it was Naruto wanted from him. "Were you wanting to come with us?"

Naruto pretended to think about his answer, but when Sasuke started shooting glances down the hallway, he thought it best to get to the point of this conversation. "No, not tonight. I do have a favor to ask though."

Sasuke's curiosity was most definitely peaked. "Anything," he answered quickly. Naruto grinned.

"You should be careful when you say that, Sasuke." The furrow was back between Sasuke's eyebrows, but Naruto wouldn't let himself reach out to smooth it. Not yet. Not until he knew he could. He took a couple of steps past Sasuke before he turned and stopped in front of him, effectively blocking the open end of the hallway. He locked his eyes on Sasuke and tried to put his most serious face on. "Bite me."

Sasuke reacted as if he had been physically hit. He took several steps back, away from Naruto. "No."

"Why not?" Naruto knew that Sasuke would refuse, but he couldn't help feeling disappointed. "And don't give me that crap about you not wanting to hurt me. That girl from the other night didn't look hurt at all." He also couldn't help his voice being tinted with bitterness. Sasuke looked mildly panicked.

"You saw that?"

Naruto sneered. "Yea, I saw that. I saw how you held her. You can't even hold me like that." Naruto could tell that Sasuke's mind was desperately trying to keep up with Naruto's thought process while trying to figure out how things went so wrong.

He glared down the hallway over Naruto's shoulder. "Karin," he mumbled. Naruto huffed and stomped his foot. Sasuke was completely missing the point.

"What does Karin have to do with any of this?" That got Sasuke's attention back on him. "Answer why not, Sasuke." Sasuke didn't answer. Naruto tried to calm himself enough to reason with him. "We can't be together if you can't even be yourself around me. You are so careful around me that you aren't allowing me to truly know you. If this is what it takes for you to relax around me, then this is something that I want to do." There was still no response from Sasuke, and Naruto knew he was terribly close to loosing his patience. He pulled out his wild card. "You said that I could have anything I wanted."

Sasuke finally responded. "Do not ask this of me, Naruto. I cannot! Please do not tempt me tonight; I have not fed yet."

Naruto wanted to slap his head. For a genius, Sasuke was a little slow. "I know, Sasuke. Why do you think I'm asking you now?"

If he wasn't so frustrated, Naruto would have been amused to see Sasuke process that. "You manipulative little…"

If Naruto listened carefully, he could hear the remnants of his control, restraint, and patience snap. "What do you want from me?"

Sasuke seemed startled, either from the question or from him screaming, Naruto wasn't sure. "Are we truly back to this? I thought we had moved passed your temper tantrums."

"I thought we had too, but you never answered me the first time around. Why am I here, Sasuke?" Sasuke opened his mouth to respond, but his jaw clicked close as he changed his mind. Naruto wished he had something to throw. "Am I just here so you have something pretty to look at? Like a doll that you keep on the shelf and take down to play with every once in a while?"

"You are being ridiculous."

"Am I, Sasuke?" Naruto squeezed his eyes closed and forced himself to calm down. He was rapidly loosing hope. "You said I was yours. Are you mine?"

Sasuke looked taken aback by the question. Minutes passed, and still he did not answer. Naruto felt like he was being sent back to the orphanage all over again. He forced a smile on his face anyway. "Well then, I'm glad we sorted that out. I won't bother you anymore." He forced himself to walk by Sasuke and back to his room.

He had just passed him, though, when there was a hand on his wrist, a hand holding his cheek, and lips kissing his wet eyes. "If my heart still beat, it would beat for you. If I still had a soul, it would belong to you. If I was still alive, my life would be commanded by you. Everything and anything for you and you only." Sasuke used the hand on his cheek to force Naruto to look at him. "But I do not have any of that. My heart last beat centuries ago, and I yielded my soul even before that. I am dead, and am merely continuing my existence. I have nothing to offer you."

Naruto reached up to hold Sasuke's face between his hands. "All I want is you."

Sasuke searched Naruto's face before he replied. "Then I am yours."

With a sigh of relief, Naruto threw his arms around Sasuke and kissed him hard. Sasuke kissed him back, chaste and gentle. Naruto rained kisses on Sasuke's face before pressing his check against Sasuke's jaw and his heart against Sasuke's still chest. Sasuke's arms wrapped tightly around his waist and his face buried itself in his hair. Slowly, though, one of those hands ran up his spine to cradle the back of his head. Naruto recognized the hold; he also recognized the tenseness in Sasuke's body. He kissed Sasuke's jaw.

"It's okay, Sasuke." Sasuke gave a dry chuckle.

"I should be the one telling you that." Naruto laughed and kissed Sasuke's jaw again.

Slowly, he tilted Naruto's head back. He placed a light kiss on Naurto's mouth, his Adam's apple, his jugular. He licked at a small spot on his throat before scraping his fangs gently across a vein. "You are sure?"

"Yes," Naruto whispered.

On Naruto's next exhale, Sasuke sunk his fangs into his vein. Naruto was prepared for the pain, and so he was able to control his wince. The pain eased after that, until all Naruto could feel was a gentle pull at his throat.

Once, when Naruto was at the orphanage, he became ill. The doctor had ordered a blood test. He had fainted half way through, but the one thing that had stood out in his mind before that was the pull he had felt in the crook of his elbow from the syringe. He could feel the suction pulling the blood from his body into the tube.

Now, he was reminded of that feeling. With every beat of his heart, he could feel the blood being pulled from his body into Sasuke's. Too soon, he started feeling the tell-tale lightheadedness of a black out. The strength started to drain from his body and he felt himself sag in Sasuke's arms. Sluggishly, he ran his fingers through Sasuke's hair and desperately held onto consciousness. He was unprepared for the sting of Sasuke withdrawing his fangs, but he was too far gone to wince. There were a couple of licks to the wound and then he was being picked up and held in strong arms.

The last of his awareness focused on a brushing of lips on his temple and the whispered words, "Sleep, my beloved."


	10. Chapter 9: Phase Changes

**Oops. I didn't mean to be gone that long. The wedding turned into a road trip. It was actually a lot of fun, full of adventure and drama. Maybe one day I'll write about it. **

**Anyway, a small explanation about the first part. Anyone who has passed out from blood loss will be able to sympathize with poor Naruto. Experiences may vary, but I wrote from my personal experience. It sucks. A lot. I wouldn't recommend it. **

**Hope this chapter makes up for my delay. **

* * *

**Chapter 9: Phase Changes**

The first thing that Naruto became aware of was that he hurt. It felt like he had just run fifty miles; his muscles felt exhausted and his lungs were struggling to draw in breath. He groaned and tried, and failed, to open his heavy eyes. It was then that he heard a delicate giggle, which led to his second realization- he wasn't alone.

"You'll get used to that. You're a little anemic at the moment, so your body doesn't have enough oxygen getting to the muscles. That's why you're having a little bit of trouble moving. Hang on; I'll help you sit up."

There was a small, yet strong, hand on the back of his shoulder pulling him up. It let go when he was upright and Naruto slumped over. Another giggle, and then she was helping him lean back into a pillow. There was a straw at his lips.

"Drink this." It took a few tries, but Naruto was finally able to crack open an eye to send a half-hearted glare at Karin. She wiggled her fingers. "Morning. Drink that."

Naruto groaned. Five minutes later, he was finally able to take a sip. He was expecting water, and so was surprised at the metallic taste. He went to spit it out, but Karin's hand clamped down on his mouth and tilted his head. "Swallow." He did. Karin resettled his head, and Naruto looked in suspicion at the red liquid in his glass. Karin sighed. "It's an iron supplement pill I melted down in water so it'd be easier to swallow. It'll help the recovery." Naruto hummed at the back of his throat and took another sip. It tasted awful.

Karin waited until Naruto finished the glass before taking his chin in her hand and tilting his head to the side. "Oh, very nice, Sasuke! No bruising and you can hardly see the fang marks. He was very careful." Naruto immediately tried to get up; he wanted to get to the mirror to see where he had been bitten! But Karin's hand was on his shoulder, forcing him to stay down. "Nope. You are to take it easy today."

Even the attempt to stand had exhausted him, so it didn't sound like a bad idea to him. Naruto sighed and relaxed back into his pillows. "What time is it? Where's Sasuke?" His speech came out slurred, but Karin seemed to understand him. She checked her watch before she answered.

"2:52 in the afternoon. Sasuke's asleep now, but he told me to stay with you today to make sure you were okay." Naruto tried to huff, but it came out like a slightly more forceful exhale.

"I'm fine."

"Uh-huh." She handed him another drink. "Drink this. Do you need anything else?"

Naruto shook his head around the straw in his mouth. He didn't have much of an appetite; he felt like he was going to be sick, either from the iron super drink or from the after-effects of passing out. Karin eyed him for a little while longer before she brought forth a package of crackers.

"I sometimes feel a little queasy when I come to. If you do too, this will help." Naruto mumbled his thanks and worked the packet open. He munched on his crackers in silence for quite some time. Karin was still watching him as if he was going to fall over and die. Now that he was feeling marginally better, it was becoming unsettling.

"I'm feeling much better now."

Karin nodded. "Good, good." She went back to watching him. Naruto chewed his lip and finished his drink.

"Well, I'm a little tired." It was an understatement; he was struggling to keep himself awake. "So, I'm going to go to sleep now." Karin reached out and helped him settle back into his bed.

"I'll be here." Naruto would have slapped his head, if he could lift his hand.

"You don't need to stay, Karin." She shook her head.

"Nope, Sasuke said I had to stay and watch…"

"Karin!" Naruto waited a bit for his head to stop spinning from his rather loud interruption. "I'm feeling a lot better, I'm not going to die, and I'm positive you have better things to do than to watch me sleep."

She considered him for some time before replying slowly. "You're just going to go to sleep?" Naruto found the strength to role his eyes.

"What else am I going to do?" Karin grinned at him and stood. After straitening his blankets and kissing his forehead, she turned to leave.

"Pleasant dreams, Naruto."

Naruto gave a little wave and tried to go back to sleep.

Tried.

His mind, despite how tired his body was, seemed to going into over drive. Despite the heaviness in his body, it was comforting to know that the reason was Sasuke. Sasuke was his! _His!_ He finally had someone to be his. And, almost even better, he was someone's. He could believe that the heavy feeling on his body was in fact the comfort of the knowledge that he belonged, that he was wanted. It was all of his childhood dreams come true.

The only thing wrong was that he was alone. He had sent Karin away, but she wasn't the one he wanted. He wanted Sasuke.

It was that feeling that prompted him out of his bed. He was able to stumble three steps before his knees gave out and he fell. He lay on the floor for several moments, catching his breath, before he pushed himself to his hands and knees and crawled to the door. He reached up and pulled himself up by the door knob. He leaned his head against the door and was shocked to see that he was sweating. He was so tired. It was sheer will power that pulled the door open. He rolled across the threshold of the door to lean against the wall. He struggled for breath a bit longer before he pushed himself off the wall to stumble across the hall. His shoulder hit hard, and he was worried that Karin had heard and would come and check on him. He waited, straining his ears to hear for any sign of movement, but there was nothing. The entire house was silent as the grave, an eerie sound he had still not gotten used to. But he was so close now! A few more steps and he was at Sasuke's door.

He knew that Sasuke was dead to the world, but he was still careful to be quite as he opened the door. Without waiting for his eyes to adjust to the pitch darkness, he stumbled across the room in the direction he knew the bed to be. He caught the edge of the bed just before he fell, and struggled with the canopy for a bit before he found the opening. Exhausted, he climbed into bed. His eyes were beginning to adjust, and he was just able to see the outline of Sasuke's facial structure. Shifting close, he rested his head close to Sasuke's shoulder and draped an arm across his chest. Dear Lord, he was so, so tired.

But if he focused just right, he could almost feel his blood in Sasuke's veins.

* * *

"Sasuke! Sasuke, I can't find Naruto!" There was a bang from what Naruto's sleep muddled mind decided was the door. A hand brushed across his forehead.

"He is here, Karin."

She sighed in relief, and Naruto only briefly felt guilty. "Oh thank God. How'd he end up in here?" There was a low vibration coming from his side before there was an answer.

"You may leave now, Karin."

"Oh…right. Ok. Bye." The door shut much more quietly than it had been opened, and Naruto was grateful for that. He briefly considered going back to sleep, but he wanted to see Sasuke. It was a bit of a struggle to open his eyes, but he was rewarded for his effort. Sasuke's face was relaxed, and he seemed happy. Naruto smiled at him. Sasuke's return smile was soft and small, but Naruto rejoiced in the knowledge that he had put it there. The hand that had brushed his forhead reached out to him again to run its fingers through his hair. This is what he had been missing, this closeness. He hoped that Sasuke realized how much better this was.

"I am sorry she woke you." Naruto reached up and tangled his fingers with Sasuke's.

"I'm not." Sasuke grinned slightly at him before taking his chin and tilting his head slightly. Naruto supposed he was checking the bite mark to make sure it was healing. Sasuke seemed satisfied. He nodded his head once before letting go of his chin and taking his hand once more.

"How do you feel?" _Like shit_, Naruto thought. But there was no way in Hell he was going to tell Sasuke that.

"Fine." Sasuke narrowed his eyes and observed him for a moment.

"Are you hungry?" Starving, but this moment was so perfect he didn't want to ruin it.

"No." Sasuke fought a grin.

"You are. I will go get you something." He went to leave, but Naruto grabbed onto Sasuke's wrist and whined.

"No. Stay." Sasuke leaned back over him and kissed his forehead.

"I will be back. Rest."

He was gone before Naruto could catch his breath from this kiss. Sasuke was so much more open with him, willing to touch him and be with him. Perhaps he finally got through to him. For the first time, he felt truly happy. If he weren't so tired, he'd run around the house screaming it. But, as it was, he could just smile and cuddle back into the soft blankets.

He was almost asleep when he heard to door creak open. He rolled over to face the door and almost laughed in glee. Sasuke had a lap tray balanced on one hand and several books in the other. He pushed himself to sitting, and was ecstatic that movement was worlds easier than earlier today, and accepted the tray. Sasuke climbed into bed next to him and opened one of the books. It was Italian, Naruto knew, and Sasuke had been pouring over it looking for any information on vampires for the past week. Sasuke nodded his head to the tray. "You need to eat all of that."

It was steak, rare from the looks of the juice surrounding it, and a dark green salad. It appeared that even Sasuke was trying to get more iron into him. "No problem."

It wasn't. Naruto was very near starving, and even though he usually ate his meat a little more well done than still bloody, he wasn't picky. He finished and put the tray on the floor to take down later before he curled up next to Sasuke. He was warm, fed, and happy, but he couldn't get to sleep. Now that Sasuke wasn't holding back from him anymore, he wanted to know everything about him- what made him smile, what made him sad, how he liked to touch and be touched. Everything.

Sasuke must have felt his gaze because it wasn't long before he turned to face him. "Can I help you?"

It was then that Naruto noticed something. Though, it wasn't so much as noticing something new, just coming to a realization. Without thinking, Naruto sat up fully, stuck a finger in Sasuke's mouth, and lifted his lip. Where did Sasuke's fangs go? Naruto knew that Sasuke didn't have his fangs out all the time, but the rest of the time, Naruto wouldn't even know that Sasuke had fangs. The canines where the fangs would be were sharper than most people's, which gave Naruto an idea. What if Sasuke's fangs were retractable, like a cat's claws? Ignoring Sasuke's indignant growl, he ran his finger up his canine to the gum and pushed down. His brief glee at seeing the fang extend was cut short by said fang embedding itself in the web part of his hand at the base of his thumb.

"Ouch!" Sasuke grabbed his wrist and sighed.

"Idiot." Sasuke brought his hand to his mouth and sucked on the wound until it stopped bleeding. "Just ask if you are curious." Naruto pouted.

"Well, fine then. It didn't hurt as much as I thought it would." 'It' didn't need to be clarified. Naruto waited for Sasuke to stiffen at the reminder of last night, but was pleased when he didn't. Instead, he considered Naruto's question before he answered.

"Little research has been done on a vampire's anatomy, for obvious reasons of maintaining our anonymity, but I have a few theories. A vampire bat contains a pain suppressant in their saliva. Most animals that drink blood do. It would stand to reason that a vampire would contain one as well."

"Huh." Naruto shifted closer to Sasuke and rested back into the bed. Sasuke's hand was still wrapped around his wrist, so he took his fingers and toyed with them. "So, I learned where your fangs go. Where do your claws go?" Sasuke chuckled.

Yes, Naruto was truly happy.

* * *

A new routine developed in the following days. For one thing, Naruto had become almost entirely nocturnal. The silence of the house during the day had become too much for him, and it allowed him more time with his friends and, more importantly, Sasuke.

The second change was how his time was distributed. He still spent a lot of time playing games and talking with his friends, but a majority of his time was spent with Sasuke, either outside on the grounds or in the study. They had once walked all the way to the second house, which was actually a huge log cabin. Sasuke had explained that it was modeled off of a cabin his family had owned when he was little. Some of his happiest moments were in that cabin, so when he had a chance to build a new house, he tried to recreate it. It was the only thing that Sasuke ever mentioned from his childhood, and Naruto didn't ask for anything more.

With the bond between them growing every day, Naruto also found his desire to physical touch Sasuke grow too. Simple touches, like holding hands, or sitting close enough that shoulders touched, were enough. He just wanted to be in Sasuke's space. His chair on the other side of Sasuke's desk had moved so he could sit next to him. He was there, sitting in his chair with his legs draped over Sasuke's, when Sasuke stiffened and stood. At first, Naruto was concerned that Sasuke had gotten fed up with Naruto in his space, but he turned and ran a finger down Naruto's cheek.

"Sasuke, what's wrong?"

Before Sasuke could answer, Gaara entered the room. Naruto quickly stood and Sasuke took his arm and moved him to stand behind him. There were several vaguely familiar people that followed him in, and several of Sasuke's own coven. Gaara's eyes flicked to Naruto. Sasuke shifted to block the gaze.

"Gaara. Your visit is most unexpected. Is there a way I can help you?" Gaara sneered.

"Keeping your pet on a short leash, are you?"

"As I have mentioned to you before, Naruto is a guest in my house, and no one's pet."

Gaara seemed to ignore the comment, which also seemed to frustrate Naruto more than it did Sasuke. "Perhaps I could borrow your pet for a couple of days."

"That is not possible."

"As part of the negotiation agreement, we were not to take a human prisoner. Are you breaking your own rules?" Naruto fidgeted when he noticed that both sides had fangs and claws extended. They were moments away from breaking into a fight, and Naruto was positive that he didn't want to see that.

"He is not a prisoner here. He can come and go as he pleases."

"Then there would be no problem in Naruto coming and being a guest in my house." There were several growls and snarls around the room.

"Gaara, it seems that you are under the mistaken impression that my tolerance of your ill behavior has been for your sake. My forbearance for you is for Naruto's sake alone. I made the mistake of loosing my temper in front of him before, and I would greatly dislike to do so again. However, if you continue to test my patience, you will have to face the consequences." Naruto looked at Sasuke in shock at the speech. Sasuke's blood red eyes were narrowed into slits, and his entire body was stiff and still as stone. He looked like he was coiled, ready to spring across the desk the next time Gaara opened his mouth. And even though Naruto _really_ didn't like him, he also knew it would probably be bad if Sasuke killed Gaara, especially since they had just formed an alliance. It might send the wrong message to other covens Sasuke had an alliance with. And if there was one thing that Naruto was positive of, Sasuke needed all the alliances he could get. He thought quickly before deciding it was time to interfere.

"Oh, is that the problem?" He reached up and covered his eyes and grinned big. "Well in that case…carry on." There were a couple of snorts of laughter around the room, but with his eyes covered, he couldn't see Sasuke's reaction. That was until a gentle hand wrapped around his and pulled it away from his eyes. Naruto was relieved to see that Sasuke was smiling at him. Sasuke leaned forward and kissed his temple, and Naruto felt that gave him enough strength to finally address Gaara. He squeezed Sasuke's fingers before he spoke. "Thank you for the invitation…" Someone scoffed, and Naruto was sure that it was Kiba. He struggled to keep his face straight as he continued. "…but I'm afraid I'll have to decline your offer."

Gaara stared at Naruto with a blank face for several moments more and Naruto thought he might faint. The only thing keeping him staring back at Gaara was Sasuke's gentle grip on his hand. Finally, Gaara turned and addressed Sasuke. "I have a matter of great importance to discuss with you." The rapid change of topic took Naruto's breath away. His knees almost gave out from underneath him. Sasuke gracefully sat back down into his chair, pulling Naruto to sit down beside him. He motioned for Gaara to speak, but Gaara seemed frustrated. "Privately."

"Oh Hell no." That was Kiba, but he wasn't the only one voicing his displeasure. Gaara's coven, surprisingly, seemed just as surprised and against the idea as Sasuke's, but they were keeping their opinions to themselves. Sasuke raised a hand to quite the remarks.

"You should take our guests on a tour." It was the end of the discussion, and Sasuke's coven begrudgingly moved to escort Gaara's out of the room. Ino particularly seemed smug as she took another blond by the elbow.

"I'd be glad to show you around. Have you seen our basement?"

Naruto looked in alarm to Sasuke. He wondered if Sasuke had actually removed the torture chamber from the basement or not, and whether or not Ino would actually use it. Sasuke rubbed his thumb over Naruto's knuckles. Naruto sighed and shifted to stand, but a tightening of Sasuke's grip on his hand made him pause.

"You will have to forgive me if I do not trust to have Naruto out of my sight with your coven wondering around my house." Gaara crossed his arms across his chest.

"I do not believe that it would be appropriate for him to be present for this conversation."

Sasuke motioned for Gaara to sit in the chair on the other side of the desk. "He stays."

As the door clicked shut behind the two covens, Gaara carefully sat across from Sasuke. Naruto shifted at the obvious tension between them. After several agonizing minutes, Gaara finally spoke. "I have come to warn you." Sasuke's eyes narrowed.

"Are you threatening me?"

"No," Gaara drawled, "but there are rumors of concern. Rumors that certain members of your coven are no longer under your control, due to your attention being diverted." Gaara flicked his eyes to Naruto, who sank back into his chair. Sasuke started to rub Naruto's knuckles with his thumb again.

"What happens in my coven is none of your concern." It was Gaara's turn to narrow his eyes. He leaned forward in his chair.

"It does if they are aiming to find a way to bring back your brother. Itachi did not just slaughter humans, if you remember correctly."

At the mention of his brother, Sasuke went still. Naruto kept a close eye on Sasuke's face, looking for any betrayal of what he was thinking, but Sasuke's face remained frustratingly blank. If anything, the lack of emotion showed how much Sasuke was being careful to not show emotion. "I remember." Gaara continued his attack.

"It is well known that you did not succeed in removing Itachi as a threat. You have buried him and attempted to forget him. But there are many of us that can not forget."

"I assure you, I have not forgotten him," Sasuke growled. Gaara finally seemed to relax back into his seat.

"Then you can understand our concern. When you succeeded against Itachi, you surprised many of us by keeping alive his most faithful followers. They have continued to search for him, devotedly trying to find a way to free him. They have not kept it a secret, and yet you have left them alive. I did not believe it was any of my concern whether or not you kept them or not, as long as you kept them under control." Once more, Gaara's gaze rested on Naruto. "Recent developments, however, have caused your attention to be turned from your duties of controlling them."

Like a lightning strike, Naruto understood. Gaara wasn't asking Naruto to come with him because he wanted him. He was trying to refocus Sasuke's attention solely on Akatsuki by taking him away. It made him sick. What if Itachi came back and killed everyone he loved, all because he was being selfish? He just found his family, he couldn't loose them. Should he go with Gaara then? He looked back at Gaara and knew he couldn't do that, but maybe he could just leave, go back to his old life. He could do that for Sasuke. He wouldn't like it, but he could do it.

As if he was reading Naruto's mind, Sasuke tightened his grip on Naruto's fingers. "Your point has been noted. You may leave now." It was a clear dismissal, but Gaara seemed to want to say something else. He didn't get the chance. Kakashi appeared seemingly out of no where.

"Well, I think you're done here. Time to collect your little minions and leave before the cats and dogs start to fight." He took started to herd Gaara out of the room, but Gaara finally got the last word.

"Uchiha, reconsider where your duty lies." Then he was gone, leaving Sasuke and Naruto alone again. Sasuke huffed before turning to look at Naruto. Naruto considered Sasuke, and his options, before voicing his own concern.

"So, about what Gaara said…" But Sasuke cut him off before he could finish.

"Most vampires, by nature, dislike change. Living an eternity with time changing around you tends to do that. Do not concern yourself with Gaara, or his fears. They are unfounded." He narrowed his eyes are growled out, "I remember very well what my duties are."

It was Naruto's turn to huff in frustration. "But, it'd be my fault if…" Again, Sasuke cut him off.

"It would not be. I think you underestimate a vampire's ability, and compare it to your own. If Akatsuki eventually wakes up Itachi, then there would be very little that you could do to stop it. In all honesty, there would probably be very little I could do to stop it." Sasuke stopped himself, but then he continued. "And while I am being honest, Itachi will some day be brought back. Sealing him was only ever a temporary fix." He paused, and seemed to loose himself in thoughts and memories, before he looked back at Naruto and grinned. "Though, I doubt that will happen in your life time."

Naruto refused to allow the shock register on his face. In his life time, Sasuke had said. He had thought…he had assumed…that Sasuke would want…that Sasuke would eventually...damn. Naruto swallowed hard. "Maybe I should leave." Sasuke had the nerve to look confused. Naruto tried to clarify. "I can't go with Gaara, but I should leave. Go back to the city." Sasuke growled.

"No." Naruto glared back at him and pulled his fingers from Sasuke's grasp.

"I thought you said that I wasn't a prisoner here. That I could come and go as I pleased." Sasuke leaned back in his chair and stared at Naruto for a long moment.

"Fine then. If you leave, I will come with you." He smirked. "How wild do you think Akatsuki will run then?" Naruto's jaw dropped. He sputtered for a few moments before he could sum up his thoughts.

"That's not fair!" Sasuke's smirk widened.

"Is it not?" Naruto sputtered a bit more before he threw himself back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest.

"You're really close to having that other lamp thrown at your head." Sasuke chuckled and leaned forward to kiss Naruto's pouting lips. Naruto allowed the kiss, but stubbornly refused to return it. Sasuke seemed more amused than upset. He ran a finger down Naruto's cheek.

"I appreciate your concern, but you have nothing to worry about. So do not be afraid. I will take care of you." Naruto shook his head.

"I'm not worried about me, I'm worried about you! I keep having this nightmare…" Naruto cut himself off this time, but the seriousness that crossed Sasuke's face was just as effective.

"What nightmare?" Naruto fidgeted, and tried to recall the dream without panicking.

"Well, you're standing in front of a mirror and your reflection kills you." There, keep it simple. There'd be no point in telling Sasuke the overwhelming fear he felt every time he looked into the reflection's face.

"Does my reflection look like me?"

"Yes," Naruto answered before thinking. Of course reflections looked like the person looking in the mirror. But Naruto's brain finally caught up to his mouth. "No." Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "It looks like you, but not really."

"Well, I am so glad we cleared that up." Luckily, the amusement was back in Sasuke's eyes. It relaxed Naruto enough to explain what he meant.

"It looks like an older, scarier version of you. With long hair. And really weird eyes." All amusement faded again and, if even possible, Sasuke's frown deepened. He was silent for several moments, seemingly lost in thought. The hairs on the back of Naruto's neck started to stand on end again. Something was wrong. "Sasuke?"

Sasuke shook himself out of his thoughts and gave Naruto a weak, small smile. "It is just a dream, Naruto. Please do not worry about it." He leaned forward to kiss him again, and this time, Naruto returned the kiss. When he pulled away, the frown lines were still there, between Sasuke's eyes. Naruto reached forward to rub them out. He tried to smile, for Sasuke.

"Yea, a silly dream anyways. Vampire's don't have reflections anyway, do they?"

Sasuke's face finally relaxed into a grin. "Well, that depends on definition. Light reacts differently with vampires. We have reflections, but humans cannot see them."

"Fascinating," Naruto deadpanned. Sasuke chuckled. As he leaned forward to kiss him again, Naruto couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. He hoped he was still just uneasy about seeing Gaara again, and that his premonitions would be proven wrong.

* * *

The next few days passed without incident, but Naruto still couldn't shake the overwhelming feeling of wrongness. He was still waiting to wake up one evening only to find that Sasuke had been killed during the day. In an attempt to counter the feeling, Naruto began sleeping next to Sasuke during the day, and following him around like a lost puppy at night. He felt ridiculous and desperate, but those feelings were better than the alternative fear he felt when Sasuke was out of his line of sight.

So, it was no surprise that Naruto slightly panicked one evening when he woke up alone in Sasuke's room. He tried to tell himself to not panic, but he found himself moving at a fairly quick pace down the hallway, a flight of stairs, and into the study. There was a brief moment of terror when he didn't see Sasuke at his usual spot behind his desk, but another breath caused him to look around the room to find Sasuke standing by the window. Naruto exhaled and crossed the room to be by Sasuke's side.

Sasuke was holding an open book, but Naruto didn't get the chance to see what was written. In his relief, he wrapped his arms around Sasuke's waist and rested his head on the back of his shoulder. To his surprise, he felt Sasuke jump. He immediately went to pull away, but Sasuke's hand grabbed his arm and squeezed.

"I am sorry. I did not hear you come in." Naruto peaked around to look at Sasuke's face in shock.

"You didn't?" Sasuke grinned at him.

"I was distracted." He inclined his head to indicate the book. Naruto finally looked at it. Instead of written word on the page, however, there were a series of small pictures.

Naruto motioned towards the page. "What is that?"

Sasuke sighed. "This is a book compiled by my brother." Naruto forced himself to remain relaxed. It was the first time he had heard Sasuke bring up the topic of his brother. "Kakashi, no doubt, has told you about him." Naruto nodded against Sasuke's shoulder and struggled to find a way to turn the topic away from Itachi.

"What are those pictures?"

Sasuke traced one of the pictures. "These are glyphs." Sasuke waited for Naruto to show any sign of comprehension, but Naruto just stared back at him. Sasuke hummed. "How do I explain? Vampires themselves are not magical, in any sense of the word. But, when they were first created, it required a large amount of power to turn a human into a vampire. There is a residual amount of that power still flowing through our veins, passed on from sire to fledgling. We ourselves cannot control that power, but we can guide it through the use of these glyphs. Each glyph is like a word. Different combinations will cause a different response."

It made sense enough, Naruto supposed. If one suspended one's disbelief. But he supposed very little could surprise him anymore. He motioned to the page again. "What do those do?"

Sasuke looked back to the page, but didn't immediately answer him. "My brother, in his endless quest for power, compiled these glyphs. I have learned what all of them do, except this series here." Naruto looked back to the page. The hairs on his arms started to stand on end again. He knew that it could be nothing good, if he knew anything about Itachi. "But, I am beginning to think I understand it." He slammed the book closed and put it back on the shelf before turning to face Naruto, looking for a change in topic. Naruto was eager to comply.

"So, how to glyphs work?" Sasuke grinned at him.

"Would you like a demonstration?" Naruto grinned at him and nodded. Sasuke motioned towards the desk and guided Naruto to sit down in his regular chair. "May I have a couple of strands of your hair?" Naruto nodded at him again, and Sasuke leaned forward and cut a tuff of his hair with a claw. He then cut some of his own hair and mixed it with Naruto's. He bit carefully on one of his fingers, and ran the bleeding tip over the strands of hair. Meticulously, he arranged each strand of hair to form a picture on the desk. Or a glyph, Naruto corrected himself. Sasuke then cupped his hand over the glyph and, pressing his fingers into the desk, dragged his hand across the glyph. Behind his fingers, the hairs were forming a chain. When Sasuke's fingers hit the end of the glyph, he jerked his hand back from the desk and shook his hand out. Left on the desk was a solid gold chain, braded with strands of black leather.

"Cool!" Naruto exclaimed. He reached out to touch it, but Sasuke slapped his hand.

"Wait." Sasuke laid his hand, palm up, flat on the table. One of Sasuke's claws on his other hand extended again, and Sasuke started to carve a glyph into his hand. Blood oozed out of the injuries and started to pool on his palm.

"Oh! Sasuke, wait." Again, Sasuke slapped Naruto's hand, this time away from his own bleeding palm.

"Wait, Naruto. It is fine." He picked up the chain and looped it in half. Laying the loop of the chain on his wounded hand, he made a fist and picked his hand up off the desk. Slowly, he rotated his wrist so his fist was perpendicular to the desk. At the bottom of his fist, a drop of blood started to form. Naruto waited for it to fall, but it seemed to solidify. As fresh blood started to drip, it too solidified, pushing the solid blood out. Naruto looked closer to see that the solid blood looked like a gem, clear and sparkling. Sasuke opened his fist to show Naruto the result of the glyph. On Sasuke's healed palm rested a ruby. It was attached to the loop of the chain. Sasuke held it up and Naruto finally realized what it was. It was a necklace. Sasuke leaned forward and hooked the necklace at the back of Naruto's neck. As he was hooking it, he whispered something in his archaic tongue in Naruto's ear. He leaned back and Naruto looked to him for an explanation. "Never take it off?"

Naruto looked down at where the ruby rested against his chest. He ran a finger over it before smiling widely up at Sasuke and launching himself forward to kiss him hard.

"Never!"

But even as he slid from his seat to straddle Sasuke, Naruto couldn't shake the physical ache in his chest telling him that something was very wrong.


	11. Chapter 10: How to kill a mockingbird

**Hm. I have nothing to say. I also have no excuses or explanations. I do apologize in advance, however. Hope I don't disappoint you too much!**

**As always, thanks for all the wonderful reviews. I do hope you enjoy this chapter! And that by the end, you still like me.**

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**Chapter 10: How to kill a mockingbird.**

With his new necklace, Naruto relaxed enough to return to his regular routine. Occasionally, the panic would start to rise, but he would rub the stone with his thumb like a worry stone, clutching it close to his chest while he focused on his breathing, and the panic would subside enough that he wouldn't worry his friends. But sometimes, that wasn't enough. At those times, Naruto would find himself clutching his chest, fighting the feeling that his heart was being ripped out. He could never pin-point the cause of the feeling, the why or how he felt what he did. All he could tell was that he felt _wrong_, that the world felt like it was moments away from shifting into the Apocalypse, and the planet was collapsing around his ears. The overwhelming terror would send him off in search for Sasuke.

He had a suspicion that Sasuke knew what he was feeling. Sasuke would always welcome him with open arms, holding him close and teasing him about being a paranoid looser until Naruto would laugh with him. It was after Naruto's heart was set to rights and the world no longer felt like it was deteriorating, he would catch Sasuke's frown lines and the long, blank stares at Itachi's book. Sasuke was worried. That alone was enough for Naruto to know that his fear was not unfounded. But when he asked Sasuke what was happening, Sasuke would shrug it off and tell him not to worry.

Even more frustrating than Sasuke not telling him why it felt like something awful was on the verge of destroying his life was the fact that he could get no other information from any of the inhabitants of the house. He had cornered just about everyone, excluding Akatsuki of course, but the answer was all the same- if Sasuke said there was nothing to worry about, then there wasn't anything to worry about. He knew that they felt the building tension as well, he could see it in their faces and the quick glances to where Akatsuki sat on the patio. Naruto assumed they were sugar-coating what information they gave him in a vain attempt to not scare him off. He needed to find someone loyal to Sasuke that would at least give him a straight answer.

He realized who fit that description one night when he saw flash of pink disappear around a corner. Sakura.

"Sakura! Wait up!" She didn't. Naruto didn't know why he expected her to. He ran to catch up to her. "Sak…" But what he wasn't expecting was a fist grabbing the front of his shirt as he turned the corner and slamming him into the wall.

"You must have a death wish." Sakura's pretty face was inches from his. Naruto vaguely thought that she would be a whole lot prettier if she weren't scowling. And if her fangs weren't extended. Something must of caught her eye, because one moment she was snarling in his face and the next she was gabbing at something on his chest and pulling. "Where did you get this?"

Naruto looked down in horror to notice that Sasuke's necklace was in her grip. Later, he would think that it was funny that he wasn't scared that she was going to kill him, but he was terrified that she would break his necklace. "Don't…"

He was cut off by Sakura yanking hard on the chain. The force of the chain hitting the back of his neck caused Naruto to pitch forward. He would have fallen if there hadn't been a hand on his shoulder pushing him back. Naruto whimpered and expected to see the broken chain in her hand. To his surprise, he could still feel the chain digging into his skin. Dazed, he looked down to verify it was still there. Sakura growled and cursed.

"He must have made it unbreakable…" She cut herself off and looked from the necklace to Naruto's face. She sneered. "He must really _like_ you." The way she spat it sounded like it should be an insult. "What do you want?"

Naruto struggled to collect his thoughts. It was a difficult thing to do, what with Sakura's fist still holding onto the chain, bearing her fangs at him. "I think we should talk." Sakura dropped the chain and pushed her hand off of his shoulder.

"You'll have to excuse me if I don't want to be your friend." Naruto shook his head.

"No, it's not that. I think that there's something wrong…" Sakura shrieked out a forced laugh.

"You think? Sasuke was supposed to be mine! It was supposed to be me by his side. It _was_ me by his side, before you showed up and ruined everything!" Naruto swallowed hard.

"I'm sorry. About all that. But in my defense, I didn't really have much choice in the matter."

"Tsk." Sakura crossed her arms across her chest and flopped next to the wall next to Naruto. They stood in silence until Naruto gathered enough courage to try again.

"I meant with Sasuke." Sakura shot him a nasty glare.

"Nothing's wrong with Sasuke. Sasuke's perfect the way he is." Naruto was quick to shake his head.

"No, that's not what I meant. I meant that I think that Sasuke's in danger."

Sakura went still. There was silence a couple more minutes before she replied. "Why tell me?" Naruto huffed in frustration.

"Because you and I are more similar than you think. And no one else is willing to do anything about it. They just keep telling me not to worry about it." Sakura rolled across her shoulder to face him.

"What makes you think he's in danger?" Naruto knew that she was avoiding his other reference to their common interest in Sasuke's welfare to focus on the more pressing matter. Naruto ran through his mind how he was going to phrase it before he spoke. He knew he had to be careful of how he said things around her.

"Gaara was here a couple of days ago." Sakura hummed to show that she knew. "He hinted at the possibility that Sasuke might be in trouble."

"What exactly did he say?" Confident that he had at least bought himself time, Naruto relaxed enough to relay what he had overheard.

"Gaara said that Akatsuki was looking for Itachi and a way to wake him up." Naruto hesitated to tell her the next part. "He said that I was distracting him from his duties, that he wasn't paying enough attention to them." Sakura considered him carefully.

"Then we get rid of you."

"I offered," he was quick to say. "I told Sasuke I would leave. He said that if I left, he'd leave with me." Sakura's eyes narrowed and Naruto put his hands up in defense. "I'm just telling you what happened." Sakura wrinkled her nose, and then started to pace the hallway. She was silent for a long time, and Naruto started to fidget. Finally, he had to speak. "What are you thinking?"

She eyed him carefully, seemingly measuring him, before she replied. "Members of Akatsuki have been taking longer to return from hunting trips. Some even go missing throughout the night when they should be here." Naruto frowned.

"Why isn't anyone doing anything about it?" Sakura shrugged.

"We do what we can. We ask them where their missing member has wondered of to, they give us some bull shit story about how they're stretching their legs, or they've gone out for air, and a little while later, the missing person comes back."

Naruto thought about what she had told him. So far, his fears were being confirmed. The thought didn't make him feel any better, especially since he know knew that his friends did know something was wrong, and simply weren't doing anything about it. "Does Sasuke know?"

"Of course. He tells us to watch them and to stop them from leaving." She grinned. "Sasuke's much too gentle, even when they don't deserve it." Naruto agreed with her, but now wasn't the time to be discussing Sasuke, and what he should and should not be doing.

"We have to stop them." Sakura's grin slid off her face.

"I don't like going behind Sasuke's back." Naruto scoffed in frustration.

"What's Sasuke going to do? He hasn't done anything about Akatsuki yet. I don't know if he's just pretending nothing's wrong, or if he actually believes it. And like you said, he's too gentle. We have to do something." A few more moments passed as Sakura measured what he had said.

"All right. What do you purpose?" Naruto hadn't given it much thought. But, it seemed like the surest way of stopping Akatsuki from waking up Itachi was to kill them. But how does one kill someone who's immortal. No one had given him that much information. He sorted through what he knew of vampires. Like a light, he had a thought.

"You sleep during the day, right?" Sakura looked at him like he was stupid.

"Yes," she drawled.

"Why?"

"No one told you?" Naruto shook his head. "We react badly with light. The younger we are, the more susceptible we are to the harsher affects. As we age, it's not so bad."

"What about sun light?"

Sakura shrugged. "The sun is the most pure source of light. Even the oldest of us would succumb to it." Naruto rolled that around in his head, trying to wrap his mind around it.

"So…it would kill you, right?" Sakura fought a grin.

"To put it simply," Naruto frowned at the emphasis on that word, "yes." He chewed his lip before telling her his idea.

"Sasuke doesn't let any of the inside doors be locked during the day. I stumbled across some of their bedrooms while I was exploring. What if I dragged them out into the sunlight while they are sleeping?" A look of surprise crossed Sakura's face.

"You think that you'd be able to do that? To kill them?"

"Yes," Naruto answered without hesitation. "If it's for Sasuke." Sakura contemplated that for a moment before she replied.

"Vampires are not immobile in their sleep. And they can wake up, which I'm positive they would do if you tried to move them." Naruto sunk back into the wall. More minutes passed where he tried to think of another plan. To his frustration, Sakura continued to stare at him.

"I read a book about Egypt in Sasuke's study." At Sakura's raised eyebrow and a crooked grin spread across her face, Naruto shrugged. "I was bored," he said by way of explanation. "Anyway, it said that they used mirrors to illuminate dark passageways. Maybe I can do the same thing."

"Maybe," Sakura hummed. "I think that you're onto something. And I agree that something must be done. Give me a few days. I'll see if I can follow them, to make sure of what they are doing. If they are trying to betray Sasuke, in any way, I supply the mirrors myself." Naruto sighed in relief.

"Ok, a few days," he agreed. He thought about solidifying plans with her, but he didn't want to push his luck. It had been half an hour since she threatened to kill him last, and Naruto strongly believed that that was probably his time limit. "Well, I should probably go. Thanks, Sakura. It's a big relief to know that someone is actually going to do something now." Sakura nodded and Naruto turned to go.

"Naruto." Naruto froze. She had never called out to him before. He slowly turned to face her. "You would do anything for Sasuke?" Naruto nodded. "Then we have a common interest. That doesn't mean that I like you, or can even tolerate the sight of you. It just means that I'm not desperately trying to find a way to kill you and make it look like an accident." She grinned before she turned and flounced off.

Fifteen minutes later, Naruto's jaw was still hanging open.

* * *

Naruto's next stop was to see Kakashi, because even though he was willing to kill for Sasuke didn't mean that he wanted to. He found Kakashi and Iruka eventually, out training in the back yard. It always made him nervous to see his vampire friends training. They would fight each other, fangs and claws extended, hitting and retreating faster than Naruto could track. The first time he had seen Kakashi and Iruka training, he had run out screaming, trying to get them to stop, and causing half the house to run out to see what was happening. Sasuke had laughed, once he figured out what had upset him so much, and told him that it looked a lot worse than it actually was. Since then, Naruto had learned to walk a little faster by the windows when he heard the tell-tale sounds of an epic vampire battle in the back-yard.

Now, Naruto walked outside to wait for their training to end. He didn't have to wait long; he suspected that when they noticed him there, they stopped to insure they would have a repeat of his previous panic attack. Naruto grinned and approached two of his most favorite people, second only to Sasuke. Kakashi sniffed once before addressing him.

"You smell like Sakura."

"Huh?" Naruto walked into Iruka's open arms and returned the hug before he figured out what Kakashi was saying. "Oh, yeah. We met up in the hallway." Kakashi chuckled.

"Trying to be friends again? I'm glad to see you still alive." Naruto was about to reply, but Iruka's fingers were brushing at the back of his neck.

"But he's not unscathed. What happened here?" Naruto reached back to feel what Iruka did, but winced instead. He was bruised, from the force of the chain if Naruto had to guess. Kakashi forced his head down to look at the bruising, and Naruto winced again at the low growl.

"She was just admiring my necklace and got a little carried away. It's no big deal." Iruka didn't look convinced.

"Uh-huh. What else did she get carried away on?" Naruto shook his head.

"Nothing. We've reached an understanding, of some sorts." Iruka and Kakashi exchanged looks over Naruto's head before Kakashi replied.

"That's good. Sasuke will be pleased." Naruto's heart skipped a beat.

"Really?"

"Mhm. Sakura is very special to Sasuke. He will be happy to know that two of his most important people are getting along now." Naruto suppressed the sharp spike of jealousy. He reminded himself that Sasuke was still his and reached up to fidget with his necklace. Kakashi noticed the movement, and raised an eyebrow in silent question. Naruto looked away.

It was then that he noticed something interesting. "Hey, where's that really scary looking dude?" At their blank stares, he motioned to the patio where Akatsuki usually sat. Iruka had the nerve to chuckle.

"You might have to be a little more specific. They're all a little scary looking." Naruto ignored the comment and turned to gauge Kakashi's reaction. To his relief, Kakashi had a little frown on his face.

"I think he means Kisame." Iruka sobered quickly.

"Shouldn't he be back by…" He trailed off and shot a fleeting look between Kakashi and Naruto. Naruto frowned and squared off with Iruka.

"He should be back by now, right. Which means he's unaccounted for. Which means that there's something wrong." Kakashi patted him on his shoulder.

"I'm sure everything's just fine. Why don't you go ahead and go inside now. I'm sure that Sasuke's missing you." Naruto was about to argue, but Kakashi shoved him gently in the direction of the door. Naruto accepted defeat, for the moment at least. He had Sakura watching Akatsuki and, after a glance over his shoulder, Kakashi and Iruka were going to go look for the missing member. And besides, he hadn't seen Sasuke all day.

* * *

Sasuke was grinning at him when he walked in, as usual. But his grin faltered as Naruto shut the door behind him.

"What?" Naruto asked. Sasuke shook his head and stood from his desk.

"You smell like Sakura." Naruto sighed. He should have guessed.

"And Kakashi and Iruka too, I'm sure."

"Mhm, but they are not the ones who concern me." Naruto walked over and flopped down in his seat. Slowly, Sasuke sat down as well, but he didn't look away from Naruto. He was apparently still waiting for an answer.

"We just ran into each other and were talking. Nothing happened." Sasuke narrowed his eyes and studied Naruto for some time.

"And what did you and Sakura talk about?" Naruto decided to give the same explanation he had to Kakashi.

"Well, we've come to an understanding," he said. He paused, and then continued. "We apparently have a lot in common." Sasuke finally grinned back at him.

"Is that so?" At Naruto's nod, he continued, leaning forward like telling Naruto a secret. "You know, Sakura claims to love me."

Naruto blushed and sputtered a couple of seconds before he finally got out, "Don't fish for compliments, Sasuke!" Sasuke chuckled and leaned back in his chair.

"All right. Regardless, I am glad you and her have reached an understanding. She is very important to this coven. And I know that I can rely on her."

"Yea, that's what Kakashi said." Naruto looked out the window, and noticed a few more of the Akatsuki missing. He fidgeted and hoped that Sakura was keeping up her end of the bargain. "And I know that she's loyal to you."

There was silence in the study for several long moments, Naruto searching the grounds for any signs of the missing Akatsuki members, and Sasuke simply observing Naruto fidget. Finally, Sasuke leaned forward and brushed a finger down the side of Naruto's cheek. When he was sure he had Naruto's full attention, he said, "Is that something you and Sakura have in common as well?"

Naruto smiled at him and leaned forward as well. "Of course. Always."

* * *

Naruto's day, for all appearances, went back to normal after that. Sasuke went back to working on a translation, occasionally scratching in notes of his own, and Naruto decided to re-read that Egypt book to see if he could find any more information on their mirror trick. Occasionally, like always, Sasuke would point something out in his book that he thought that Naruto might find interesting. Most of the time, it was something that wasn't interesting at all to Naruto, but he indulged him. Sasuke would get excited, or as excited as Sasuke could be, and lean close to Naruto and drop his voice. It was definitely worth the few minutes of boredom.

Throughout the evening, Naruto kept a careful watch outside of the window. He had seen Kakashi and Iruka come back some time ago, some of Akatsuki in tow, and Sakura had returned about an hour after they did, frustratingly empty handed. Kisame was still MIA, which Naruto was positive wasn't a good sign. He was tossing the idea of trying to find Sakura before dawn to see what she had found out when the rolling of Sasuke's pen off his desk caught Naruto's attention. It was odd for Sasuke to drop his pen, but Naruto obligingly turned from the window and bent to pick it up. It wasn't until he went to hand it back to Sasuke that he noticed anything wrong.

Sasuke was completely frozen, hand still poised above the paper as if he was about to write something down. Naruto twisted his head to look up into Sasuke's face, and was even more concerned to see that Sasuke's eyes were wide, pupils dilated and mouth open as if he had went to gasp and checked himself half way through. Naruto reached out a hand and shook Sasuke's shoulder gently. "Sasuke? What's wrong?" There was no response. Naruto shook his shoulder a little harder. "Sasuke, are you all right?" There was a slight reaction. Sasuke reached up one hand to grip his shirt over his heart and his jaw clicked shut into clenched teeth.

Naruto was beginning to be really worried. What had happened? He looked over Sasuke's shoulder to see if it was something he had read, but Naruto couldn't understand any of it, the original or Sasuke's cryptic translations. He doubted that was it though. Sasuke had been re-reading that book to double check his translations. What else then? Maybe he heard something that Naruto couldn't, or smelled something. Or, what if something was wrong with Kakashi? Naruto remembered that, because Sasuke was Kakashi's sire, they could sometimes feel each other's emotions. He had images of Sasuke appearing in the lounge because Kakashi was panicked that he was talking to Sakura. Maybe, Kakashi had found something out about Akatsuki?

Any other speculation was cut off by Kakashi banging the door to the study open. "Sasuke? What's wrong? What's happened?" Well, that threw that theory out the window. Apparently, Kakashi was fine. But Kakashi's entrance into the study finally prompted Sasuke into action. He stood, his chair scraping across the floor.

"Kakashi, take everyone from the second house back home. Now. And do not allow them to come back tomorrow."

For the first time Naruto had ever known him, Kakashi actually looked shocked. "What? Why? Sasuke, tell me what has happened?" Sasuke stalked around his desk and growled at Kakashi.

"You will do what I say, without question and immediately. Now go." Kakashi seemed like he wanted to argue the point, but he eventually turned and left, supposedly to follow Sasuke's order. As the door clicked shut behind him, Sasuke ran a hand through his hair, pulling at the ends. Naruto came up behind him and wrapped his arms around his waist.

"Sasuke? Please tell me what's wrong." Sasuke's hand gripped Naruto's wrist desperately. It hurt, but Naruto refused to deny Sasuke the contact. Finally, Sasuke unwrapped himself from Naruto's embrace and turned to face him.

"Time to go, Naruto." He still had Naruto's wrist in his grip as he started to lead Naruto from the room.

"Where are we going?" Sasuke didn't answer him, and Naruto let himself be led through the house and out the front door. When they stopped at the bottom of the front steps, Naruto asked Sasuke his question again. Sasuke didn't answer him right away, just raked his eyes over Naruto's face. Naruto flinched at the raw pain he saw in Sasuke's eyes and twisted his wrist so that he could grip Sasuke's hand.

He was unprepared for Sasuke to throw his hand away like he had been burned. Naruto stood there, hand reaching out for Sasuke, for several stunned moments before he brought his wrist to his chest and rubbed it. Sasuke reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. Ignoring Naruto, he pulled out some money and handed it to Naruto. Naruto frowned at it. "What do I need that for?" Something felt terribly wrong. Sasuke sighed in frustration, folded the money in half, and forced it into Naruto's front pocket.

"I told you. It is time to go."

"And you never told me where we're going."

Sasuke growled at the back of his throat and looked away. When he looked back, he said, "We are not going anywhere. You are going back to the city."

Naruto could physically feel his heart sink in his chest. It left a gapping hole where it used to be. "For how long?" Sasuke sneered.

"You are failing to understand, Naruto. I am sending you back." Naruto stumbled a couple of steps back, like he had been physically hit.

"Why?" he whimpered. "What did I do wrong?" Sasuke shrugged nonchalantly. Naruto wanted to hit him for the action.

"Why else were you ever sent back for? I have grown tired of you." Sasuke took a couple of steps forward and gently pushed Naruto backwards. Naruto stumbled a bit, but caught his footing and attempted to stand his ground.

"No. I don't believe you. Something changed. Tell me what's wrong!" Sasuke scoffed.

"What is wrong is that you are wasting my time. Leave Naruto." Another shove.

"No, Sasuke, please!" This couldn't be happening! Naruto couldn't think, couldn't hear anything past the blood rushing in his ears. He was feeling faint and like he might throw-up at the same time. He whimpered again and did the only thing he could think to do. He reached out to Sasuke again, but Sasuke slapped his hand away and, with one last push, Naruto was falling. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the forest trees rushing past him, feel space rearranging itself around him, and feel Sasuke leaving him. It felt like all the air was being sucked out of him. It left him breathless on the sidewalk of the city.

"Goodbye Naruto."

Panicked, Naruto immediately jumped up and tried to run back into the forest. But he had only run a couple of yards back into the forest when he found himself running back out again into the city.

"Fuck!" Naruto cursed. Sasuke had rearranged the forest again, preventing Naruto from going back to him. Naruto tried again and again and again.

By the time the sun rose, Naruto was collapsed on the border between Sasuke's world and his, crying as if he had just lost everything he had ever wanted. Because he had. And he still had no idea why.


	12. Chapter 11: On the third day

**I think there may be a few people who are concerned at the direction this story is taking. If you fall into this category, there is a sentence in my profile that should help.**

**This entire story grew out of a single comment in this chapter, so I'm so happy to have finally made it here. Thank you for reviews, and I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

* * *

**Chapter 11: On the third day, he rose from the grave**

For a good couple of hours, Naruto wondered around the city at a loss at what to do or where to go. Eventually, he ended up where he always did when he was sent back. No one had even bothered to re-board the orphanage doors. He made his way up the stairs back to his old room. For a long time, he stood there, looking out the window and almost waiting for Sasuke to appear out of thin air. He never did, and Naruto wasn't surprised. In defiance, Naruto splayed himself out across the floor in the direct sunlight.

He stayed there for three days, watching the sunlight creep across the window sill, the darkness right on its heel. He slept, he dreamt, he mused over what he had had and what he had lost. His body felt exhausted, drained of all life. And Naruto wasn't sure he wanted to fight the feeling off.

Sasuke didn't want him. Sasuke had sent him back.

And to make things worse, Sasuke gave no explanation beyond that he had gown tired of him. It was so odd. One moment, things were perfect. Sasuke was teasing him, and pleased at Naruto's confession that he would always be loyal to Sasuke. And the next…the dark, haughty look that Naruto had last seen haunted his dreams.

On the third day, his body finally protested the lack of movement. As he shifted his weight to roll on his side, there was a clink by his ear. He lethargically lifted a hand to finger what had made the sound. It was Sasuke's necklace. Naruto lifted the gem stone to eye level. Nothing made sense. Sasuke _had_ wanted him. Even Sakura conceded that Sasuke liked him. Then why? Why did Sasuke send him away? Nartuo went through the moments before carefully.

Sasuke had been frozen, eyes dilated and mouth open in a silent gasp. Something had changed, something that only Sasuke knew what it was. Naruto had thought maybe something was wrong with Kakashi, but Kakashi had come in, asking what was wrong. And then, Naruto sent Kakashi and all the people he trusted home. The thought prompted Naruto to sit up.

Sasuke hadn't just sent him away. He had sent everyone he cared for away. He had told Kakashi to not let them come back the next night. Sasuke had isolated himself with those people that he didn't trust. That didn't make sense, unless Sasuke finally realized that he was in trouble and he was trying to protect those that were dear to him. One thing was for sure, though. Naruto had to find Sasuke and make him tell him what was wrong. Maybe he could find some way to help.

Naruto stumbled to his feet, body week from hunger and disuse. But, it was mostly his sheer determination and disgust at himself that forced his body to move. He had told Sasuke that he would be loyal to him forever, and here he was wallowing in his own misery. How pathetic. Naruto stumbled out of the room and down the stairs to the outside. Briefly, he paused on the steps to the orphanage, wondering where he should start his search. He couldn't go back to the forest. Sasuke had blocked his path back to the house. But, there was one spot that he knew that someone from the house would be. And if he could find just one person, they could take him back.

So, Naruto headed towards the train station. He would go back to the club where he had first met Sasuke, and where he knew for certain that members of Sasuke's coven hunted their prey every night. He paused in the alley way where he had been almost been mugged to catch his breath. He remembered how scared he had been of Sasuke then, and now knew he would give anything to see him again. He half hoped that another mugger would come along and try his luck. Perhaps it would bring Sasuke out of hiding.

On the train, he almost fell asleep again, but he forced himself to stay awake, standing and pacing along the car. But, when he finally arrived at the club, it was a bitter disappointment that he learned it was all in vain. The club was closed. Naruto fell back against the wall and slid his back down to sit on the side walk. What was he supposed to do now? He was focusing so much on where he was supposed to go next that he missed the clicking of heels on the sidewalk. He couldn't help but to notice the fish net stockings ending in stiletto heels standing in front of him though. He looked up to see a very pretty woman with long red hair standing in front of him. On closer expectation, he noticed that she had very little on. A prostitute. He swallowed hard and tried to look away, but she was speaking to him.

"Are you all right, boy?" Naruto nodded and motioned to the club.

"It's closed," he said by way of explanation. She looked almost surprised and looked around the street before she crouched down to eye level.

"If you haven't noticed, honey, everything on this street's closed." Naruto for the first time looked around himself to see she was right.

"Why?" The woman sighed.

"There've been a pretty nasty string of murders here. It's just not safe on these streets."

Naruto felt the need to point out the obvious. "But, you're out here." She laughed.

"So I am. I have to make a living some how." She looked up and down the empty streets. "Though, I must admit that business is a bit slow." She looked back to Naruto and eyed him carefully. "And you look half starved. There's a tavern that's open a block over. Do you want to go eat something? And then you can tell me who you were waiting for."

"How do you know that I was waiting for someone?" She grinned.

"I didn't." For the first time in three days, Naruto grinned back.

* * *

Naruto was not surprised to find the tavern mostly empty. The woman walked up to the bar and ordered dinner. She had to empty her hidden pockets, scrounging for money to pay for her food, so Naruto finally pulled out the wad of money Sasuke had given him. He had to hold in his bitter laugh; Sasuke had given him all 100 dollar bills. He pulled out one of them placed it on the counter.

"This will pay for it, and mine. And a beer for both of us. You can keep the change." The bartender grinned and moved to pick it up, but the woman slammed her hand down on top of it.

"There won't be any change. As much food as that will cover. Got it?" The bartender nodded and the woman finally lifted her hand. She grabbed Naruto's elbow and led him to one of the tables. "You can't just give your money away like that. That's a good way to get you killed." Naruto shrugged and chuckled.

"It's not my money. And I'm not afraid of death. I should have died twenty-six years ago." The woman frowned.

"How?"

"Well, what I've been told is that my mother threw me in a dumpster, not too far from here." Naruto was watching the man plate their dinner, and so didn't notice the woman stiffen. "He saved me then."

The woman cleared her throat. "He?"

"Sasuke." Naruto sighed his name. "I met him again in that club a while ago, and moved in with him after that. Three days ago, he sent me away with nothing but a pocket of money. Like some kind of…" Naruto cut himself off and shot the woman a glance. She grinned at him.

"Like a whore? I'm not offended." The bartender set several plates of food and two pitchers of beer on the table. Naruto finally realized how hungry he was and pulled the first plate towards him. The woman watched him eat for a couple of moments before she began on a plate herself. "He didn't tell you why he sent you away?" Naruto shook his head. "Well, did he love you?" Naruto didn't know. He thought that Sasuke was fond of him, but he didn't know if an immortal could love. So he shrugged his answer. He fingered his necklace.

"He gave me this." The woman leaned forward and took the gem in her hand.

"A ruby. Good quality, from the looks of it. It must have cost him quite a bit. He must really like you." Naruto shrugged and tucked the necklace back into his shirt.

"So I've been told." They ate in silence for some time before Naruto mouth mumbled what he had been thinking. "Sometimes, I wish he had never saved me from that dumpster. He should have left me there. It would have solved a lot of my problems." The woman reached across the table to take his hand in hers.

"I'm glad he saved you and that I was able to meet you. Besides, you're life isn't over yet, so how do you know it wasn't worth living? Maybe you still have some purpose."

Naruto wasn't convinced. "You think everyone has a purpose?" She smiled at him.

"Yes, I do. People have to believe in something to keep them going."

Naruto didn't feel like talking ethics with a prostitute, so he changed the topic. "Tell me about the murders."

She shrugged. "They're bizarre, and the police have no leads. But their deaths are all exactly the same, so they are sure that it's the work of a serial killer. Or killers." There was an itching all along his spine.

"How were they killed?" The woman leaned forward and whispered the answer. Naruto felt faint.

"They were drained of all of their blood. Their jugulars were severed. And only ever at night." Naruto fell back in his chair. That sounded suspiciously like the work of Atatsuki. Sasuke and his friends would never allow for their feeding to get this out of control. That meant that Atatsuki were running wild, unchecked. And that meant…that meant that something had happened to Sasuke. Naruto jumped out of his chair, but the woman grabbed his elbow and forced him to sit down again. "Sit down, boy. I know you're concerned about your boyfriend, but you can't do anything on an empty stomach."

She was right. And Naruto didn't even know where to begin. He pulled a second plate of food closer and poured himself another beer. Besides, if this was still Atatsuki's hunting grounds, he wouldn't have to go far. He looked up as the door to the tavern slammed closed. No, he wouldn't have to go far at all.

The woman was still watching him carefully, occasionally pushing more food at him. Finally their food was finished. The woman stood and stretched. "Well, I better get going." Naruto walked her to the door and back out onto the street. It was his turn to grab her elbow.

"Here." He put all of Sasuke's money in her hand. "You should get out of this city. Go someplace far away and start a new life. A better life than this one."

"I can't take all of this!" She tried to hand it back to Naruto, but he wrapped her fist around it and pushed it back.

"You can. I have a feeling that where I'm going I won't need it anyway." The woman stared at him for quite some time before stepping forward and kissing him on his forehead.

"I will pray for you, for you and your loved one, that you and he will remain safe." Naruto grinned and nodded. She turned and took a couple of steps away before turning back to face him. "I forgot to ask. What is your name?"

"Naruto. You?"

"Kushina." Kushina smiled at him before she turned and walked away for the last time.

Naruto watched her go. When she was out of sight he finally addressed the man who had followed them out of the tavern.

"Kisame, I've been expecting you." The large man grinned at him, showing a line of razor sharp teeth.

"Have you? I'll admit that you were a little difficult to find." Naruto shrugged. He didn't feel like pointing out to Kisame that he had been hiding like a coward at the old orphanage.

Instead, he said, "Where's Sasuke?" Kisame's grin, if possible stretched wider.

"Oh, he's someplace safe. Now then, are you ready to go?" Naruto nodded and turned to face him. "Good. There's someone I want you to meet."

* * *

The house felt different. There was a heavy air that lingered around the house, pushing at Naruto's lungs and strangling his breath away. Kisame had a strong hand on Naruto's shoulder. Naruto supposed it was to keep him from running away. He considered telling Kisame that it was pointless, that he wouldn't run away anyway, not if there was a chance of seeing Sasuke again. But the man scared him, and the less interaction he had with him the better.

The inside of the house was just as bad. It seemed so desolate, devoid of the life (Naruto had to laugh, mentally, at the term) that Naruto had grown accustomed to. Walking into the lounge, he could see members of Atatsuki spread out all across the room, and not any of his friends. He had a bad feeling about this.

"Well, well, well. Sasuke's lost pet has been returned to us." Naruto really disliked that man. Hidan, he remembered him being called before.

_Well_, thought Naruto, _if I'm going to die, might as well go down fighting._ "And to what do I owe the pleasure of seeing all your smiling faces again?" He smiled pleasantly at them, as if they were long lost friends. A man with black stitches all over his body, Naruto though his name was Kakuzu, was across the room before Naruto could blink.

"Listen here. If it were up to us, you'd be dead. Dead, you here me! You should be grateful, you little brat." Naruto waited for his heart beat to return to normal before glancing quickly around the room. No one else had moved, still relaxed in their seats as if they didn't care if he was killed or not.

"So, who is it up to, that I'm still alive?"

"Mine." Nartuo turned to see who had spoken. The cloaked figure was entering the lounge out of the shadowy door to his left. Naruto knew, oh God he knew, who it was going to be, but he was still caught off guard. It was like waking up and finding out that your nightmares were real.

"Itachi." Naruto recognized him instantly. He had, after all, seen him before. He looked the exact same he had in Naruto's dreams.

"Good. You know who I am. We require no introductions." The seated members of Atatsuki had immediately stood when Itachi entered the room and sat down again when Itachi did. Naruto scoffed.

"You have them trained well." _Dear Lord, shut up! You're going to get yourself killed!_ The entire room seemed to vibrate with the growls. Kisame, who was still standing behind him, squeezed his shoulder to a point Naruto thought his arm might break off. But he wasn't anything if he wasn't stubborn, and he refused to wince and refused to pull away. Vaguely, he heard the grinding of his bones together, but he refused to take his eyes of Itachi's face. At first glance, he looked so much like Sasuke. But the lines of his face were harsher than Sasuke's, and his eyes a cold, empty steel where Sasuke's were a raging storm of the emotions he refused to let show on his face. Itachi flicked his wrist and Kisame let him go. Naruto barely restrained himself from reaching up to rub at his shoulder.

"Apparently, better than Sasuke ever did." Sasuke had already been brought up. Naruto had been expecting to have to force Itachi to talk to him about his brother.

"Where's Sasuke?" Itachi sneered.

"I am afraid I have not been a very good host. Are you hungry?"

"Are you?" Naruto shot back. The corner of Itachi's mouth twitched, either from humor or anger, Naruto didn't know.

"No." He motioned to a seat across from him. "Please have a seat." Naruto made no move to sit down. Instead, he crossed his arms over his chest and leveled Itachi with his best glare. A long-haired blond stood from his seat and growled at Naruto.

"When Master tells you to sit, you sit."

"He's not my master." The blond moved as if to force Naruto to sit, but Itachi stopped him.

"Deidara, leave him alone." Deidara sat back down and Itachi leaned forward in his seat to look closer at Naruto. "I can be a gracious host, Naruto. But you must meet me half way." Naruto considered his options and the threatening expressions looking at him before he decided to sit down. "Good, good. That was not so hard, was it?" Naruto scowled at him.

"Why am I here?"

"I was under the impression that you were a long term guest in this house."

Naruto decided to try again. "Where's Sasuke?" Itachi sighed.

"Everyone, leave us." Naruto watched as Atatsuki left the room. Some how, he felt more nervous alone with Itachi than he had moments ago in a room full of hostile vampires. "Sasuke, Sasuke, Sasuke. I grow tired of hearing about my whiner baby brother. What does it matter to you where he is? He sent you back."

"To try and keep me away from you!" Naruto was slightly hysterical at the end of his sentence, and he ended up screaming it. Itachi didn't look phased. He continued as if Naruto hadn't interrupted.

"But I have now brought you back. I can be just as gracious as a host as Sasuke. He allowed you free run of the house, correct?" Naruto didn't respond. "I can give you anything and everything he did."

"I want Sasuke." Itachi stood from where he was and moved to look out of the window.

"You were not here very long before you developed these feelings for him, were you? How are you to be sure that you will not develop feelings for me?"

"Never," Naruto spat. "I hate you." Itachi turned and smirked at him.

"Ah yes, but at one time you hated Sasuke as well." He turned back to the window. "It will be dawn soon. Your arrangement with Sasuke will continue with me. But, I will have the bedroom doors locked, if you do not mind. I fear that I cannot trust you yet." Itachi turned and moved to the door of the lounge. "Good evening, Naruto. I will see you tomorrow."

Naruto was left to himself in the lounge, wishing that he could wake himself up.

* * *

Naruto spent the day re-exploring the house. Logically, he figured that Sasuke was no longer there in the house. Itachi, excluding the occupied bedrooms, kept his word and allowed Naruto to have free range of the house. Even Sasuke's room was unlocked and unfortunately empty. If Sasuke was still in the house, it wouldn't make sense for Itachi to give him the chance of finding Sasuke. And he refused to believe that Sasuke wasn't alive. Sasuke had to be alive; he just had to find where Itachi had hidden him.

Sadly, the house was frustratingly empty of clues. There was nothing missing, except Sasuke, and no signs that anything had been altered. There was nothing that could indicate what had happened to Sasuke or where he was. And he had looked everywhere!

Well, to be honest, not everywhere. He hadn't been to the basement yet. He didn't want to go to the basement, which is how he knew that if there were any clues, that's where they'd be. So, Naruto gave himself a pep talk, ate a snack, and headed down the flights of stairs. It was hard, and every step was a challenge with the dread of what he knew he would find. Finally, he made it to the last door and flipped the switch. In a couple of steps, he would be in the torture chamber.

"And have you, my most beloved, betrayed me too?"

Naruto knew that voice! "Sasuke!" He ran down the last couple of steps and turned the corner to see the very man he had been looking for. He was kneeling with chains forcing his arms to hang above his head. His head was bowed, and Naruto couldn't see his face, but his posture looked like someone who had been defeated. It angered Naruto. He could feel the rage bubbling in his chest, pure hatred against Itachi and anyone who had ever hurt Sasuke. He struggled to push the unfamiliar feeling down and moved to run to Sasuke. Sasuke looked up sharply at him, though, and stopped him.

"No, Naruto. Stay there. I have not fed, and I do not think I would be able to control myself." Naruto whimpered.

"Sasuke, what have they done to you?" Sasuke sighed and leaned back on his heels to rest his head against the wall. He didn't answer, but just grinned bitterly at Naruto. Naruto whimpered again and looked around the room. There was a cabinet in the corner that might have something that could help Sasuke. He ran to it, careful to give Sasuke a wide berth, and pulled it open. His mind worked hard to block out the rusted, bloody nails and saws, until he finally found an old wooden bowl and a butcher knife. He sucked in a deep breath and, as he dug the tip of the knife into the heel of his hand, exhaled sharply.

"Naruto, what have you done? You are bleeding." Naruto threw a quick glance over his shoulder to check on Sasuke. He was sitting up as best he could, leaning forward against his restraints, eyes blazing a bright red. Naruto gulped; he had to be careful, he knew. He turned back to the task at hand and squeezed his fist hard over the bowl. When the tell-tale light headedness set in, Naruto knew he had to stop if he was going to be any help to Sasuke. He licked his wound and found a rag to wrap his hand in. Carefully, he picked up the full bowl and moved closer to Sasuke. Sasuke was tracking him with his eyes, a stern scowl on his face. Naruto kneeled and set the bowl down outside of Sasuke's reach and lightly pushed it forward with the handle of the knife. Finally, it was within Sasuke's reach. Naruto knew he was trying to resist. He turned his nose away, as if refusing to give into the smell. Naruto reached forward again, stretching his arm to give a final push of the bowl closer to Sasuke. In the end, Sasuke accepted his gift. The chains refused to allow Sasuke to pick the bowl up, so he was forced to bow his head to drink from the bowl. It made Naruto's heart break. Sasuke should never have been made to crouch on a floor, licking a meal from a bowl. No one, no one, made Sasuke weak. Naruto vowed that he would save Sasuke, if it was the last thing he did. And he would make Itachi suffer for what he had done to Sasuke. Sasuke eventually leaned back, blood smeared on his lips and chin, and went back to leaning his head against the wall.

"Sasuke, are you better now? Can I come closer to you?" Silence stretched for a period of time before Sasuke opened his eyes and nodded. Naruto crawled his way to Sasuke and wrapped his arms around Sasuke's neck, licking and kissing the blood away. Sasuke turned his head and pressed his nose to Naruto's hair. "Sasuke, what happened?"

"You were right. I was betrayed. Although, I suppose in hindsight I should have expected it." Sasuke sighed and ran his fingers through Naruto's hair. "I should go ahead and tell you now. Karin's dead." Naruto's jaw dropped.

"What? Why? I thought she was going to be turned. Sasuke, what happened?" Sasuke sighed again and leaned back on his heals, dragging Naruto with him.

"They never had any intention of turning her. They had found her as a means to find my weakness. You." Naruto went to object, but Sasuke placed a finger on his lips. "Gaara was right. They wanted to distract me long enough for them to bring Itachi back, though none of them knew how. They figured if anyone would be able to find my weakness, it would be a human. I have sympathy for humans to begin with. And their plan worked. Once she had served her purpose and Itachi had been brought back, they killed her." Naruto buried his face in Sasuke's neck. He felt like crying. All of this was his fault.

"I'm so sorry Sasuke." Sasuke kissed his temple.

"Do not be sorry. I am not. I have no regrets." Naruto pulled back to look at Sasuke incredulously. Sasuke chuckled. "This is a price I have to pay for my time spent with you. I do not mind. You are worth every second of torment I have ever been through and ever will be through." Naruto couldn't help the grin the stretch his face.

"It seems kind of unfair." Sasuke tilted his head.

"How so?"

"You seem to have paid so much, and I haven't paid anything. Compared to you…" Sasuke shook his head to cut Naruto off.

"Pain and suffering can not be compared, only judged on an individual basis. You have suffered as well." They sat in silence for some time before Naruto had a thought.

"You haven't asked how I got back yet." Sasuke growled.

"I know. Itachi had you brought back." Naruto looked up at him.

"Do you know why?"

"Because your very presence here tortures me." Naruto leaned away insulted, but Sasuke pulled him back. "It tortures me because I know that Itachi will use you to hurt me. He will hurt you, or try to turn you against me…"

"Never!" Naruto cried. Sasuke grinned and ran his fingers through Naruto's hair again.

"Regardless, nothing good can come from you being near him. I want you to find a way as far away from here as possible."

"No, I'm not leaving you here. I have to find a way to free you." Naruto gripped one of the chains and gave an experimental tug. Nothing happened, but Naruto wasn't surprised. He started to analyze the chains for a weakness.

"I will try to get through to Kakashi," Sasuke went on as if Naruto hadn't said anything. "Our bond is not as strong as if I was solely his sire, but I can at least impress upon him what I need him to do." Sasuke trailed off and began to make plans out loud. Naruto noticed something on the chains and leaned forward to look closer. "I do not think that it would be good for him to come retrieve you during the evening when Itachi is awake, but maybe he can find a way to retrieve you during the day. You would have to stay here at least another night."

"Sasuke, look here. I think I recognize these glyphs. Aren't these the ones from Itachi's book? That you said that you just figured out?" He held the chain up for Sasuke to see. Sasuke barely glanced at it before yanking it out of Naruto's hand.

"No. Do not concern yourself with that." Naruto scowled at him.

"But, I think that's the key to getting you free. Do you remember this series of glyphs? And what I need to do to free you?" Sasuke didn't answer. "Sasuke, do you know how to free yourself?"

"Do not concern yourself with that. You have to get away from here." Naruto's scowl deepened. Sasuke was hiding something from him. He moved forward and straddled Sasuke's lap.

"Sasuke, I am going to find a way to free you. You can either help me or just sit there and look pretty. But the sooner that you're free, the sooner you can kill Itachi and things can go back to the way they were." Sasuke turned away from him. Naruto blanked his face. "Unless, you were telling me the truth three days ago, and you no longer want me." Sasuke turned back to him, eyes wide and cupped Naruto's face with his hands. Naruto pulled his face away. "Well, even if you don't want me, I would think you would want your freedom."

"I lied. I do still want you. I never stopped and never will stop wanting you. But even more than I want you, I want you safe. I want you to live. My freedom is nothing compared to that. I can endure this. But I could not endure having you hurt." Naruto leaned back into Sasuke's space.

"But I am hurt. Having your freedom taken from you, seeing you like this, hurts me more than anything Itachi could ever do to me." Sasuke sighed and leaned forward to kiss Naruto's lips. Naruto kissed him back and moved to deepen it, but Sasuke pulled away.

"Expect Kakashi tomorrow afternoon. Please Naruto. I have to know that you are safe." Naruto whimpered and moved forward to kiss him. Sasuke allowed the kiss, but turned away only after a moment. "It is almost night fall. You should go before Itachi awakens." Sasuke kissed him again, hard and fast. "Go, Naruto. Go." Naruto stood and moved to leave.

"I'll be back tomorrow, Sasuke."

"Naruto…"

"I love you." Naruto grinned at Sasuke's shocked expression before he turned and ran back up the stairs. He ran all the way to his room, slamming the door closed and collapsing against it. He couldn't help the grin at finally admitting his love for Sasuke, despite the hardships he knew lay in front of them. At least he had a starting point.

He frowned when he remembered Sasuke's unwillingness to tell him what the glyphs meant. He was positive that those were the glyphs that he had seen in Itachi's book. He also remembered thinking that the glyphs could not do anything good, so he knew that it wouldn't be easy to free Sasuke. But he couldn't understand why Sasuke wouldn't tell him. If Sasuke had told him, then he could tell Kakashi, and then they could free Sasuke. He shrugged. If Kakashi was indeed coming tomorrow, then he could talk to him about the glyphs. Maybe Sasuke had told him what the translation was. Or, maybe Sasuke kept his translation notes in the study with Itachi's book. At the very least, Naruto could find Itachi's book and show it to Kakashi tomorrow.

If he survived tonight, at least. The sun had set and he was starting to hear the stirrings of the house occupants coming alive. Naruto locked his door and moved to his bed. Half way there, though, he changed his mind and moved to his desk. He dragged the chair over and placed the back of the chair under the doorknob. He considered the set up before he moved to his dresser. It was heavy, which Naruto was glad for, but he managed to push it over to the door. Carefully, he pushed at the top of the dresser until it tilted and rested against the door. The bottom of the dresser slid slightly on the carpet. Naruto quickly put his foot there to prevent it from slipping and looked around the room. He eventually decided on something to replace his foot and pulled one of his orange crates over and switched them out. He watched the set-up for a couple of moments to make sure it would work before, satisfied, he moved back to his bed.

He wondered if he would be able to sleep at all in house full of vengeful vampires, but he was so exhausted and his nerves were shot, so he had no problem finally falling asleep.

He dreamt of Sasuke that night. He was lying next to him, looking up at the stars. He could feel the earth moving underneath him and the stars were flying above them, but Sasuke's hand in his remained constant, comforting him with his strength and steadiness.

Naruto woke up smiling, ready for anything. Because he could do anything if it was for Sasuke.


	13. Chapter 12: How to make a sacrifice

**For being a horrible, mean, awful person, I apologize. I was going to make the chapter longer, but I'm having so much fun. I'm also six chapters into a new story I haven't posted yet. I want to make sure it'll work before I get it up, but I'll let you know when it is. **

**Thank you for your kind reviews. I found an error in my last chapter; it's corrected now. That's what I get for being my own beta. **

**On to the next chapter. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 12: How to make a sacrifice**

"I see you found what you were looking for."

Naruto sat up in bed, momentarily disorientated. Itachi was standing over him with that damn grin on his face. Naruto's eyes darted to the door; he was shocked to see that all of his barricades were still in place.

"How'd you…," he stopped, considered Itachi's sentence, then, "What are you…," he cut himself off again. He had better keep his comments generalized; he didn't want to give Itachi too much. "Huh?"

"You found my sniveling baby brother. How is he doing? I haven't seen him since I put him down there." Naruto swallowed. How did Itachi know that he had found Sasuke? Oh, he should have known- Itachi smelled Sasuke on him. He had forgotten that that was a possibility. He swallowed hard.

"How'd you get in here?" He didn't want to tell Itachi anything more than about Sasuke than he had too. Itachi grinned.

"This is my house. I can come and go as I please." That didn't answer the question, but Naruto wasn't entirely too sure that he wanted to know the answer. Itachi was still leaning over him and he felt vulnerable. Carefully, he slid sideways off the bed and moved closer to the window. Itachi's grin widened. "You have yet to answer my question. How is darling Sasuke?"

How was he to answer that? "You didn't hide him away from me very well." Itachi shrugged.

"I aim to please. You asked for him, and I gave him to you." Naruto didn't believe that for a moment. There had to be some alternative motive. It almost all seemed too easy.

"So, if I ask for you to set him free…" Itachi chuckled.

"I apologize, but it is quite out of my hands now. Besides, I'm not sure I would want to. You seem overly preoccupied with him. I might be jealous."

"You don't want me." Itachi grinned. "You want to hurt Sasuke." Itachi nodded.

"Of course." He said it so easily, as if discussing the weather. Naruto was shocked at the admission. "I despise Sasuke."

"Why didn't you just kill him then? Why keep him alive? Why turn him?" Itachi grinned and leaned against the wall. He kept his eyes focused on Naruto.

"I am sure that one day you will understand. There are many things worse than death. Death was much to gentle, to nice for Sasuke. Making him live was a more fitting punishment." Naruto scowled and struggled to remain calm.

"Why?" Itachi shrugged and pushed off the wall. He took a couple of steps towards Naruto until he was leaning down to stare directly into Naruto's face.

"Why what?"

"Why do you hate him so much? He never did anything to you. He was just a child." Itachi had the gall to laugh.

"Why should I not hate him? It is an amusing pass time." He laughed again and Naruto moved closer to the window.

"You're fucking insane." Itachi finally straitened his position. It allowed Naruto to breathe.

"Hm. Perhaps. Is there anything I can get for you?"

Naruto scoffed. "Yea, tell me how to free Sasuke." The amusement was clear in Itachi's face.

"Oh, I could do that, but where is the fun in that? Besides, have you asked Sasuke? He knows how to free himself." Naruto knew that, had figured out that Sasuke was hiding it from him yesterday. "It is odd that he has not told you. Perhaps he feels differently for you than you first imagined."

Naruto didn't know how to respond to that. It was something he had been afraid of for some time. "Then go away." The hurt in his voice wasn't masked very well, and Itachi picked up on it, and it seemed to please him.

"Very well. Good morning, Naruto. Say hello to Sasuke for me." Naruto blinked, and Itachi was gone as soon as he was there. It creeped Naruto the Hell out, especially since he couldn't tell how Itachi had left. The dresser and the chair were still pushing against the door; nothing was out of place.

Naruto waited until the sun was firmly in the sky before he dared to venture out of his room. He didn't bother to put the dresser and chair back into their correct places; he knew he'd be putting them back against the door again that night, regardless of how little good it had done.

He was conflicted about what to do first. He wanted to go and see Sasuke, but if Sasuke had his way, Kakashi would be here soon. And he wanted to find Itachi's book before Kakashi got here. Though, it was a bright sunny day, so Kakashi might not be able to come to the house. Eventually he headed to the study; Kakashi was a genius, and Naruto wasn't going to bet on Kakashi not being able to find a way.

The book was exactly where Sasuke had left it on the bookshelf. Naruto flipped through the pages until he found the page that Sasuke had shown him. He traced the figures and worked hard to recall the images carved on Sasuke's chains. He was so sure that they were the same. He turned back to the bookshelf and started the task of flipping through the books surrounding Itachi's, looking for Sasuke's translations. He frustrated quickly, and moved to sort through Sasuke's desk. He thumbed through the few papers stacked on the corner, but there was nothing. He eventually collapsed in Sasuke's chair. He was one for two, but at least he had the original book.

He wondered if he should look someplace else, Sasuke's room perhaps, and started spinning the chair as he thought. It was on his third rotation that he had to stop and turn back to the window. Naruto's jaw dropped as he stood and moved closer to the window, and he could do very little to stop the laughter that bubbled out of his chest. There was a figure making its way across the lawn towards the house. It was completely dressed in black, head to toe, complete with a ski mask. Over that was a full length cloak, sunglasses, and full length gloves. All of that was overshadowed by a large umbrella. It was so well covered that Naruto couldn't be sure who it was. He was sure it wasn't Kakashi; it was much too short. Finally, it made it to the window and pointed up. Naruto stopped laughing long enough to shrug and mouth "What?" The figure smacked the window hard and pointed up again. Naruto followed the finger before he realized the figure was pointing upstairs to his room. He nodded and gave an OK sign with hand before turning and leaving the room.

The figure was already in his room and closing the heavy curtains covering his window. "You look ridiculous." The figure flicked him off.

"Fuck you. Get in the closet." The voice was muffled, which just made it that much less intimidating, but he knew it was Kiba.

"Oh, wait until Sasuke hears this." Kiba paused on the way to his closet.

"Sasuke's still here? We had hoped that he wasn't. Crap." Naruto frowned and followed Kiba into his closet.

"Why? What's happening on your end?" He closed the door behind him and Kiba started to remove layers.

"Aw Hell, man, I haven't got a clue besides that we are royally screwed. One moment we're sitting here, the next Kakashi is herding us out and saying that once we're all out he'll come back and knock some sense into Sasuke, and then when we tried to come back we saw that Itachi was back. All Hell broke loose after that. You could say that we all went to Hell in proverbial hand basket. We've been putting out fires. There are several covens that were our allies now concerned about what's going to happen to them now that Itachi's back. That's where Kakashi is now, in a meeting with Gaara."

"In the daytime?" Kiba shrugged.

"It's what time I'm here, isn't it?" Naruto shrugged back. "It's the only time that we think we're safe from Itachi and his cronies." They lapsed into silence before Kiba went on. "Well, what's happened to Sasuke then? Kakashi said he's still alive." Naruto sighed and slid down the back of the closet door.

"Yea, he's still alive. Itachi has him all chained up in the basement." Kiba looked at him sideways.

"Itachi let you get close to him?"

"Yup. He has everything but the bedrooms unlocked for me. I spent most the day with him yesterday." Kiba frowned and looked away.

"Why does Itachi have you here then? Did you come back on your own or did he bring you back?"

"Both. He sent someone to bring me back, but I came willingly." Kiba sighed and slid down the wall to sit next to Naruto.

"Well, that can't be good."

"Nope," Naruto responded. There was silence again before Kiba moved to stand.

"Then it's best that we get you out of here now." Naruto frowned and slapped the hand that reached down to help him to stand.

"I'm not going." Kiba growled.

"Naruto, I really don't feel like forcing you."

"Then don't. I'm not leaving Sasuke. He needs me." Naruto thought a second, then, "They're starving him, Kiba." Kiba analyzed for a long minute before huffing and flopping back down beside Naruto. Naruto grinned at him. "Besides, we need to find a way to free Sasuke, and you'll need someone on the inside to do that."

"That sounds all good and well, but do you have any bright ideas?" Naruto grinned at him and opened to his bookmarked page.

"These glyphs here are on the chains that are binding Sasuke. Sasuke knows what they mean, but for some reason he's not telling me." Kiba took the book from him and traced over the glyphs.

"I've never seen these before. And you said that Sasuke translated them?" Naruto nodded.

"Yea, but I couldn't find his translation notes."

"They wouldn't be here. They'd be at the second house. He keeps all of his most important documents and translations there, since he doesn't trust anyone in this house." Naruto grinned bitterly at Kiba.

"I would think not." Kiba looked up from the book at him confused for a moment before he realized what he had said and chuckled.

"Yea, except for you." Naruto grinned and turned his attention back to the book.

"I think that those are the key to getting Sasuke free." Kiba hummed and traced them again.

"No, they are more like the lock, and we have to find the key." He slammed the book closed and moved to stand again and Naruto followed. "But, first we have to know what these mean. I'll take them with me and show them to Kakashi. He'll either know what they mean or know where Sasuke kept the translations for these glyphs."

"Well, I think that's a good idea, but I'm concerned about how much leeway Itachi will actually give me. That's his book." Kiba frowned.

"Well, that's fine, but I'm not sure I'm comfortable with writing it down on another piece of paper."

"Okay, well, do you think you can get it back to me before sundown?" Kiba considered the question.

"Yea, I'll head over fast and get Kakashi to look at it right away. Once we know what it is, I'll bring it back." Kiba started to dress himself in his layers again.

"With an answer?" Kiba winced before he pulled the ski mask over his face.

"If we can find one, yea."

"I need an answer, Kiba. I don't know what Itachi has in store for me, but I know that it isn't going to end well for me." Kiba froze with the sunglasses half on his face. He stared at Naruto over the rims with something that looked like fear in his eyes. Naruto grinned at him the best he could. "Hurry." Kiba pushed the sunglasses on and walked over to hug Naruto. Naruto relaxed in his hold, as if Kiba would make everything disappear. But then he was pushing Naruto away.

"I'll be back with an answer. Go stay with Sasuke until I come back. I'll be back an hour before sundown." Naruto nodded and Kiba was out the door and on the window ledge before Naruto could blink. He hesitated there before he turned back to Naruto. "If these are Itachi's glyphs, it can't be anything good. Especially if he wanted you here." Naruto nodded again.

"Yea, I know. I don't care." Kiba nodded once before he was over the window ledge. Naruto hurried over to the window and watched Kiba land, pop open his umbrella, and dash across the lawn. He turned then and finally allowed himself to give in to the temptation he had been fighting all morning.

* * *

"I am torn, beloved."

Naruto grinned at the voice he heard even before he flipped the light switch on. "Why?"

"Because I thought I had made it clear to Kakashi that he was to take you away from here, and yet here you are." Naruto turned the corner and saw Sasuke. He hurried over to the bowl and butcher knife he had left on the table. "I am fine, Naruto."

Naruto shot Sasuke a glare before pushing the tip of the butcher knife into the cut he had already made. No senese in making a new cut. "And yet I'm here. Why were you torn again?"

"Because as much as I wish you were not here, I am so happy to see you again." Naruto turned and beamed at him.

"I'm so happy to see you again, too!" His small bowl was mostly full and he was starting to feel lightheaded again, so he sucked the wound until it stopped and rewrapped it in his rag. He carefully picked the bowl up, but instead of pushing it across the floor, he walked all the way to Sasuke and held the bowl to his lips. "Here."

It felt better to Naruto to see Sasuke drinking this way than it had yesterday. It almost seemed as if Sasuke wasn't chained to the wall. He watched Sasuke drink, and when the bowl was emptied he replaced it with his lips. Sasuke kissed him hungrily before he turned his face away. "You smell like Kiba." Naruto hummed.

"Yup, he said that Kakashi couldn't make it. Apparently he's dealing with the political side of Itachi's return."

"Ah, so that explains why you are still here. Kiba is much too easily persuaded by you. Interesting, that." Naruto laughed.

"Oh, Sasuke, don't be jealous." Sasuke stiffened and stuck his nose in the air. Naruto laughed again; even kneeling and chained to a wall he could still look like a snobby aristocrat. Only Sasuke could pull that off with any kind of convinceability.

"Jealousy is beneath me. Besdies," he nipped at Naruto's jaw line and pressed his mouth to Naruto check, "you are mine."

Naruto grinned and kissed the underside of Sasuke's jaw. "Yes, I'm yours." They relaxed into each other's hold and Naruto told Sasuke about everything he had done for the three days he had been away. He considered telling Sasuke about sending Itachi's book with Kiba, but Sasuke hadn't wanted Naruto to know how to free him, so he couldn't imagine that he'd be happy that he was so close.

"Tell me more about this prostitute you met. What color was her hair?"

"Red and very, very long."

"Hm. And her eyes?"

"Blue, like mine." Sasuke grinned.

"And you met up with her outside of the club?"

Naruto was definitely suspicious now. "Yes, Sasuke. Why?"

"Was her name Kushina?" Naruto pulled away from him slightly.

"You know her?" Sasuke grinned and stroked the side of Naruto's cheek.

"Of her. To think that you would meet up with her. Should I tell you?" He was musing out loud, Naruto knew, but he answered him anyway.

"Yes, you should tell me." Sasuke grinned.

"I believe that you met your mother." Naruto gasped and collapsed back against Sasuke.

"She was the one that threw me away?" Sasuke sighed and held Naruto close to him.

"In her defense, I believe that she thought you were dead. I thought you were dead at first. And she was a child herself, barely sixteen." Naruto digested that before he collected his thoughts enough to respond.

"Do you think she knew who I was?" Sasuke measured his words carefully before he responded.

"I was told once that a mother will always know her child. And if you told her your story, I am sure she was able to put it together."

There was silence while Naruto considered Sasuke's response and what he remembered if his interaction with his supposed mother. "She was really nice."

"I am glad. Perhaps, once this is all over, you can find her again." Naruto shook his head and Sasuke looked at him confused.

"I gave her the money you gave me and told her to leave and start a better life. I hope she does." Sasuke grinned at him.

"I am glad you have no grudge against her." Naruto laughed.

"Well, a wise man once told me that you couldn't regret your past if you liked your present. And if she hadn't thrown me away, then you wouldn't have found me." Sasuke looked shocked as Naruto threw his words back at him. "No regrets, right Sasuke? And I don't regret you." Sasuke's expression melted into a grin.

"Is that so? You do not regret me bringing you into this nightmare?"

Naruto fiddled with the chain. "No, because it's not a nightmare. You're here." Sasuke gently pulled the chain from Naruto's loose grip.

"My, you have become idealistic since coming here."

Naruto carefully checked his watch. "You've given me something to be idealistic about. Speaking of ideals, I have to go." He carefully stood and moved out of reaching distance from Sasuke. It physically hurt him to do so, but he knew that he would have to forfeit his current comfort to achieve his goal of Sasuke's freedom.

"Go where?" Sasuke seemed suspicious.

"To meet with Kiba again. I sent him back with Itachi's book so he could look up your translation. He'll be coming back now with my answer." The look of surprise crossed Sasuke's face, and a shiver went down Naruto's spine as he noticed a flicker of terror.

"Naruto…" But Naruto cut him off with a shake of his head.

"Nope, it's a done deal Sasuke. It would have been so much easier if you had told me how to free you in the first place."

"Did it occur to you that I do not wish to be freed?"

The thought hadn't occurred to him. It seemed a foreign concept. "No. But why wouldn't you?"

"I have made my decision, Naruto. I have chosen my torment. You cannot take my decision from me. It is not your choice to make." Naruto frowned at him.

"I'm not entirely sure it's completely up to you either. You're the only one who can stop Itachi now. He's killing people, Sasuke."

"What are their lives to me if it costs me something dearer?" It was the first time he had ever heard Sasuke yell. It took him aback, and he felt the full weight of what was happening settle in the pit of his stomach.

"What will it cost you?" Sasuke didn't answer him, but turned to look at the floor. "That's not fair, Sasuke, to let people suffer because you're scared." Sasuke chuckled resentfully.

"I have been selfless my entire life. I think I am allowed a moment of selfishness." Naruto grinned at the sulky tone and walked back to Sasuke to kiss him. Sasuke leaned into the kiss and whispered against his mouth, "Stay with me, Naruto." His voice was pleading.

"I will always be with you, Sasuke." He kissed him one last time before he turned and moved back to the stairs. "But I will free you, Sasuke. I suppose that that is my one act of selfishness."

He struggled to block out Sasuke calling for him. It was, without a doubt, the hardest thing he ever had to do.

* * *

Naruto was crying by the time he made it back up to his room. Sasuke's pleas were still echoing in his ears and he was beginning to doubt himself. But he had already made his decision, and the least he could do would be to hear Kiba out.

Luckily, he didn't have to wait long. From his window, he could see two similarly cloaked figures making their way quickly to the house. He opened his window and stood to the side to allow them access to his room. Once they were inside, he pulled his curtains closed and moved to the closet, the shrouded figures on his heels. Once secure from any possibility of a stray light, they revealed themselves to be Kiba and Kakashi. Naruto wasn't surprised. He sat on the floor crossed legged and waited until they sat next to him. Kiba looked tense, and Kakashi uncharacteristically serious. "So, did you find it?"

Kakashi cleared his throat. "Yes, we did. These glyphs act like a lock." Naruto huffed.

"That isn't anything I didn't know. What I need to know is what the key is." Kakashi scowled at him.

"I am getting there. But first, I need to know how serious you are about freeing Sasuke."

"I would do anything."

"Anything?" Naruto nodded. "That is good. Naruto, I must impress upon you the importance that Sasuke is freed. He is the only one who can check Itachi. Without Sasuke, Itachi will live forever, killing thousands, millions. He will enslave the world and bend it to his will."

"I know, Kakashi. You don't have to convince me to free Sasuke. I would free him for his own sake, regardless of the world. Just tell me how." There was a long silence where Kakashi deliberated before he answered.

"The glyphs are unique in that they are already activated. The trick is getting them to deactivate. They allow for an outside power to be linked to them in order to supply the needed element to switch off, if you will, the power keeping Sasuke restrained."

"What element?" Kakashi had the nerve to chuckle.

"Blood, of course. What else? A large amount of blood, to be specific. From a single donor. The donor would not live." Naruto swallowed hard. He knew where this was going. If he were being honest with himself, he had seen this coming ever since Itachi had him brought back.

"How does the blood get to the glyphs? You mentioned an outside power." Kakashi looked at him remorsefully before he answered.

"Yes, though it could be anything that Itachi used. It would have to be the same object that was used to put the seals in place. And, the object would have to be reconnected to the glyphs by the original caster."

"Itachi," Naruto concluded. Kakashi nodded. "I'll have to go to him to get my answers."

"Yes. But Naruto, there's more." Kiba stood abruptly, but Kakashi pulled him back down. He continued before Kiba could protest. "These glyphs are particularly cruel. I am not surprised that Sasuke did not want to tell you. It requires a specific sacrifice." Kakashi pulled out another book and flipped to a certain page. "The sacrifice," Kakashi read, "would have to be the most beloved in order for the seal to be broken."

Naruto grinned. "'My most beloved,' he said." Kiba and Kakashi exchanged looks, and Naruto spoke more clearly so that they could understand his train of thought. "The story of true love's kiss breaks the wicked spell, right?" Kakashi grinned at him.

"Or something like that." Kakashi's grin fell and he leaned forward. "Naruto, you do know who the sacrifice must be, right?" Naruto nodded.

"Of course. I'm the sacrifice."


	14. Chapter 13: Stay with me

**My Other says I'm a sadist. At the moment, I'm inclined to agree. **

**Thank you so much for all the kind reviews. I love and appreciate each of them (even the one where one poor reviewer called me cruel- it amused me greatly).**

**I hope you enjoy this chapter. It's short, but I wanted to get something out quickly and it seemed like as good a place as any to take a break. I'm leaving Sunday for a week long camping trip, but I'll try to get the next chapter out before I do. If I don't manage it, I apologize in advance.**

* * *

**Chapter 13: Stay with me**

Kiba snarled, and even Kakashi seemed concerned with how easily Naruto had acknowledged his role in freeing Sasuke. Kakashi leaned forward and asked, "Naruto, do you understand what that means?" Naruto grinned back at him and leaned back on his hands.

"Yea, of course. It means that I have to die in order to free Sasuke." Naruto himself waited for the panic of that statement to set in, but he felt oddly calm. This was the price that he would have to pay for the time he had spent with Sasuke. And he hadn't been lying when he said that he would do anything for Sasuke. He could do anything for Sasuke, and sacrificing his life for Sasuke's freedom seemed so trivial. What was his life worth if Sasuke couldn't be a part of it anyway?

Kiba still seemed displeased at the idea. "Maybe you don't have to die." Kakashi furrowed his brow.

"But the glyphs require a substantial amount of blood. No mortal could survive that."

"What if we turn him? He won't die then." Kakashi looked over Sasuke's notes.

"No, I'm fairly sure that won't work. If we turn him, then a majority of his blood wouldn't be his own, but that of his prey. And, any injuries would heal too fast; his wounds must stay open long enough to break the seals at one time." Naruto smiled and reached over to take Kiba's hand.

"Kiba it's fine…"

"No," Kiba snapped back. "What if we turn him after Sasuke's freed? He'll be half way there anyway." Naruto considered him while Kakashi thought it over.

"How does one turn into a vampire anyway? No one ever gave me a straight answer."

Kiba growled at the abrupt change of topic, and Naruto thought for a moment he wouldn't answer him. "The intended vampire must be close to death from blood loss, which you will be, and then enough of a vampire's blood must be pushed into their system."

"Did Sasuke tell you how glyphs work, Naruto?" Kakashi was leaning on the back of the door with his eyes closed.

"Yea. Something about a residual power in the blood of vampires and the glyphs direct that power. Or something like that." Kakashi nodded.

"That's the general idea. The residual power is enough to turn a weakened individual. It's why the intended must be bled before being turned. Certain incantations and glyphs drawn on the flesh allow the blood to have direction in the intended's veins. Unfortunately, I don't believe that this will be a possibility for you."

"Why not?" Kiba yelled. Naruto shushed him.

"Kiba, keep your voice down. I don't want Itachi to wake up."

"Why not?" Kiba whispered, but the force behind his voice was still there.

"I believe that this is the opportunity that Itachi has been waiting for. He and Sasuke are evenly matched, especially since Itachi has been sealed away for close to three centuries. He needs to find a way to weaken Sasuke in order to defeat him for good." Kakashi turned from Kiba to Naruto to explain why Kiba was pulling at his hair in frustration. "A vampire is incredibly vulnerable when turning a fledgling. They must open themselves and pour everything they are into the process, so they also allow themselves to be open to attack. It explains why Itachi let you find Sasuke so easily, why he allowed you to find the glyphs that will free Sasuke. Itachi wants you to free Sasuke so that Sasuke will try and save you. He will be able to kill him then." The first dregs of dread started to form at the back of Naruto's throat.

"You can't let him." His breathing was coming hard. He couldn't free Sasuke if it meant his death. That defeated the point. "Don't let Sasuke try and turn me." Kakashi reached out to him and rubbed his arm.

"Calm down, Naruto. Breathe." Why should he breathe? Breathing seemed so inconsequential.

"Don't let Itachi kill him. Kakashi, you can't let Sasuke die!"

"I won't, Naruto. Calm down. Sasuke has an entire coven that would die before letting Itachi hurt Sasuke." Naruto finally inhaled and relaxed enough so he could think properly. Kiba still was agitated.

"Fine, then I'll turn him." Naruto shot him a shaky grin.

"Thanks for the offer, but I would rather you didn't." An offended look passed over Kiba's face, so Naruto was quick to explain. "But I'm sure that Itachi will have Atatsuki there, if anything so they can witness Sasuke's death. Sasuke will need all of your help." He turned and faced Kakashi and lowered his voice to a threat. "And I want all of them dead. No mercy, and no second chances." Kakashi nodded in agreement.

"Of course. They have already wasted their second chance. None of them will survive, I promise you." Naruto nodded in satisfaction before turning back to Kiba.

"Besides, I don't think that Sasuke ever wanted me to be turned." The phrase "in your lifetime" kept running through his head, and he remembered that Sasuke seemed so pleased by the thought. Kakashi seemed to agree with Naruto's guess.

"That would make sense. Sasuke has always been against the turning of vampires. That's why he set up so many obstacles for vampires who wish to take fledglings, and why he has to be certain that the intended is positive they wish to be a vampire." Kiba didn't share the sentiment.

"But don't you think that Sasuke would be more against Naruto being dead?" Kakashi shrugged.

"Who knows? Sasuke has issues." Naruto grinned and found himself missing Karin.

"So I've been told. From day one." Kakashi chuckled.

"You should have known then." Naruto sniggered, but Kiba was still frowning at both of them as if they had lost their minds.

"Have the both of you lost your minds?" It didn't help that Naruto started laughing. "You're talking about being killed, Naruto."

"I know, Kiba. And thank you so much for your concern. But this is something that needs to be done." Kiba went to argue, but Naruto stopped him. "This is something that I want to do. I'm happy that I can finally repay Sasuke for everything that he's done for me. I'm not scared, and I have no regrets. Please, don't you regret anything either, okay?" It took a long time, but Kiba finally nodded, just once.

"How will this work then? Sasuke will need back-up."

"I agree," Kakashi said, "but we can't enter the basement until Sasuke is freed. If we do, Itachi may throw the ritual."

"We'll wait then," Kiba chimed in, "at the top of the stairs. Atatsuki will probably be distracted by the ritual and their own blood thirst to notice us. I'm sure that Kakashi will be able to tell when Sasuke's free. We'll attack the moment the chains are off of him."

"And stop him from trying to turn me," Naruto reminded.

"If we can," Kiba shot back.

"Kiba," Naruto warned, but Kakashi's hand on his shoulder cut him off.

"Let us concern ourselves with that. You have a large enough role as is. You focus on freeing Sasuke and we'll handle the rest." Naruto considered Kiba's stubborn expression before turning back to Kakashi.

"Fine. I'll go to Itachi as soon as the sun sets and tell him that I'm ready. He'll probably tease and torment me before telling me what needs to be done. Give it about half an hour to forty-five minutes before you come into the house."

"Of course. We'll be waiting outside of the house until we see them head into the basement. We'll be ready."

"I trust you," Naruto replied. Kakashi inclined his head in acceptance. "Both of you." Kiba was still scowling at him, but he gave Naruto a weak grin.

"It's almost sunset. We should get back and rally the troops. You'll be all right?" Naruto laughed and Kiba's concern.

"Of course." They stood and Kiba and Kakashi started to pile their layers back on. "I appreciate everything you've done for me. It's been fun. Tell everyone else bye for me."

"Of course." Kakashi's voice was muffled by the ski mask, but Naruto could pick up what he assumed to be affection in the man's voice. "It has been an honor and a pleasure, Naruto. I wish you luck." Kiba hesitated in following Kakashi out of the closet before deciding to hug Naruto. Naruto grinned into the hug.

"Hold on for as long as you can, Naruto."

"Kiba," Naruto warned, but Kiba was shaking his head.

"Please." Naruto sighed.

"All right. I will." Kiba finally grinned back at him and, after a quick hug, followed Kakashi out the window. Naruto considered going to the window as well to see them off, but the sun was low on the horizon and he was running out of time. Instead he went directly to the study and replaced the book on the shelf. He turned to leave, but halted half way to the door and returned to Sasuke's desk and took his regular seat next to Sasuke's chair.

He didn't have to wait long. The sun had only been set for a couple of minutes before Itachi blew into the room. "Ah, Naruto, to what do I owe this pleasure?"

"I'm ready." Itachi grinned.

"Ready? For what?" Naruto had prepared himself for this. He knew that Itachi was going to toy with him, so he took a deep breath before he answered.

"I know how to free Sasuke. I also know that it requires your help. So, I'm telling you that I'm ready. Tell me what to do." Itachi's grin didn't falter. He stayed there and stared back at Naruto for some time before he moved to the desk and opened one of the lower drawers. There was a lock box there without any lock, but that didn't seem to bother Itachi. He extended one of his claws and traced over a symbol on the side. Naruto watched as the lid to the box dissolved away to reveal what looked like a bowl, but as Itachi lifted it from the drawer to place it on the desk, Naruto realized that it was closer to being a basin. It was stone and had an intricate design on the inside. Itachi sat back in Sasuke's chair; it took all of Naruto's willpower to stay in his own chair so close. Instead, he settled for pressing himself back into his chair as far as he could go.

"Should I be insulted?" Insulted or not, Itachi's grin was still solid on his face.

"Yes," Naruto responded. He motioned to the basin. "What's that?" Itachi's grin turn nostalgic.

"This is an ancient Mayan sacrificial bowl. Do you know much about the Mayans?" Naruto shook his head and wondered where this was going. "They were a marvelous culture that believed heavily in sacrifice. They would brutally slaughter thousands of victims every year." Naruto couldn't help the scoff that escaped his mouth.

"Sounds like your kind of culture."

"Indeed." Itachi picked the bowl up and rested it on his knee so that Naruto could look inside. "This design here is the infamous Mayan calendar. They placed this on the inside of all of their sacrificial bowls because they believed that blood was the fuel of the universe. All blood collected in these bowls was thought to feed the calendar. This would ensure that universe would continue to move."

"Fascinating," Naruto deadpanned. Itachi chuckled and placed the bowl back on the desk.

"When they would go to war, they would never kill their opponents on the battle ground. Instead, they would take them prisoner to be used in sacrificial rites later on. It ultimately was a contributing factor to their downfall as the Spanish did not play according to their rules."

That sounded vaguely familiar. Naruto strained to remember his world history lessons from High School. "Cortes?" Itachi grinned at him.

"Ah yes. Heard of him, have you?" Naruto didn't respond, but Itachi accepted his silence. "The poor Mayans did not quite understand why the Spanish Gods were killing them in war. Fortunately for us, many of their artifacts remain in this world." Itachi considered Naruto before he continued. "As a part of their religion, they believed it to be an honor for oneself to be sacrificed. All sacrificial victims were considered willing. Are you willing, Naruto?"

"Yes." Naruto answered without hesitation and the quick response seemed to take Itachi aback.

"Does my brother inspire such loyalty in you? Or are you simply desperate for something to be loyal to?" Naruto went to answer him, but Itachi interrupted him before he could respond. "Think before you reply."

He did. Kushina had told him that people needed something to believe in to be able to continue living. Was he clinging to Sasuke simply because he needed something to believe in? The thought didn't settle well in Naruto's stomach. He recalled Sasuke, Sasuke's mannerisms, his looks, his small gentle smile that he always reserved just for Naruto. He knew of Sasuke's convictions, what Sasuke had faith in. He also knew that he respected and agreed with those convictions that the murder of innocents was essentially wrong and the endless hope that vampires and humans could live in symbiosis, and that he was proud that Sasuke pursued his beliefs with a dogged determination. He also knew that he never felt safer or more wanted than when he was with Sasuke.

So which was it? Naruto knew. He still knew. "I love him." A look of disgust passed across Itachi's face.

"Do you? You were not given much of a choice."

"I was given a choice. Sasuke let me choose and I chose him. I love him." Naruto forced down the shivers traveling up his spine and leaned forward to growl in Itachi's face, "And I will do anything for him. Now, tell me what to do." Itachi sneered at him.

"You will have to do very little. My coven will link this bowl with the chains. I will spill your blood. All you will have to do is stand there and bleed. Can you manage that?" Naruto sneered back at him and hoped that it was just as intimidating.

"Yea, I think I've got that part down." Itachi stood and Naruto followed.

"Good. Well, let us get started then." He moved to leave but paused at the door. "There will not be time for regrets later. Once you leave this room, your course is set. Be sure." Naruto grinned at him.

"I'm sure." Itachi scoffed at him and turned to leave; Naruto followed him. He was so sure because he knew he had no regrets.

Naruto had no regrets when he walked out of the room and heard Itachi hiss for Atatsuki.

He had no regrets when he saw the looks of pure glee cross their faces at the news of his impending death.

He had no regrets as he was led by an entourage of monsters to a torture chamber.

He had no regrets even as he saw the look of utter betrayal crossed Sasuke's face.

He had no regrets as the ominous chanting caused shivers of fear to race up and down his spine.

He had no regrets as he listened to Sasuke scream himself hoarse in his please to spare Naruto's life and please, please Naruto do not leave me! I need you! I love you!

He had no regrets as the searing pain of Itachi's fist ripped through his body and he gagged on the blood flooding his lungs and racing up his throat.

He had no regrets as he struggled to stay awake long enough to lean over the bowl and cough up as much blood as he could to insure that there would be enough there to free Sasuke.

He had no regrets as he felt the horrible sucking pull of Itachi pulling his hand out of his stomach and he collapsed to the floor in a blood stained heap.

He had no regrets as Itachi's insane laughter, Sasuke's anguished screams, and Kiba's blessed battle cry as Sasuke's coven stormed the torture chamber echoed through his head.

And as he lay there dying, struggling to draw breath into his shredded lungs and choking on blood and fluid, he knew that he never could regret anything that led him here.

"Naruto, hang on! Do not leave me! Stay, stay with me! Naruto, please!"

Because everything had been for Sasuke. And he could never regret Sasuke.

* * *

Death is easy. It is simple and amazingly effortless. It's like a heavy sleep that you never remember falling into until you're waking up.

It's wonderfully blank. It's empty of all feelings, all thoughts, all consciousness, and all awareness. There are no bright lights and long tunnels ending in a flooding white. There are no tearful reunions with loved ones long past. It is a blessed, heavy nothingness.

And just like sleep, you never realize that you were dead until you're coming back to life.

Oh yes, death is easy. It's living that's the hard part.


	15. Chapter 14: The beginning of forever

**I've always struggled to find things to say, and now I have lots to say, so bear with me.**

**1. As you may have noticed, the 70+ review marker was reached. So, if you have given me any kind of feedback up to this point (even those 8 reviews after 70, because I'm nice, and the reviewer who sent me an email) I will accept a request from you. Please send your requests to me either in an email (email address is available on my profile) or in a private message. Please do not submit it as a review to this story or I'll probably ignore it. Understand that they will all be one-shots and I'll post them all together in one multi-chaptered "story." I will also be putting the name and prompt at the top of each one-shot, so if you don't want your name on it, let me know. Any questions/concerns, let me know. I look forward to the challenge!**

**2. I have a new story up. It's going to be quick, fast, and dirty, but that's how I like it.**

**3. This chapter is long overdue. However, I hope the content makes up for my absence. Let me know!**

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**Chapter 14: The beginning of forever**

The first thing that Naruto became aware of was that there was someone screaming. They sounded like they were in pain. _"Why doesn't anyone help that person?"_

The second thing he became aware of was that there was someone running fingers through his hair, across his forehead, and across his lips. "Hush, my most beloved, hush. I am here; I will make the pain go away." It was Sasuke! Naruto would know that voice anywhere. But his words made him quickly come to his third realization.

The pain was agonizing. He tried to tell Sasuke that he hurt, but to his surprise his mouth was already open. He was the one who was screaming. He tried to stop himself by slamming his jaw shut, but that just made it turn into a shriek. "Sas-sas…"

The hand on his cheek brushed the strands of his hair off his forehead. "Naruto, I am here. I will help you." There was a hand under his back pulling him up enough that something slipped behind him. It was a body, Sasuke's, behind him and he was pulling Naruto back to rest on his chest. The touch alone was like fire racing through his veins. He struggled a bit, fidgeting and struggling to find a comfortable position. Sasuke's cool hand rested on his forehead and his rumbling purr echoed through Naruto's back and eased the pain on his spine. The relief was like putting a band-aid on an amputation, but it eased enough that Naruto could at least focus his senses. Or, at least try.

He squinted his eyes open, but all he could see were bright spots coloring his vision and no details. He was rewarded for his effort by a sharp stinging at the back of his eyes and he shut his eyes again quickly. He tried to strain his ears to see if he could tell what was happening. The last he remembered he was in the basement lying useless on the battlefield. The last thing he remembered hearing were the beginnings of the clash between Itachi's and Sasuke's covens. Was it over then? The only thing Naruto could hear was Sasuke's low rumblings. The only thing he could smell was Sasuke and the only thing he could feel was Sasuke's hand on his head and his body behind him. Everything seemed so frustratingly blank and Naruto could not make sense of his surroundings.

A popping sound reached his ears and the scent of copper filled his nose. There as a moment of nothing else and then something warm and wet was being pressed against his mouth. He tried to turn his head away, but Sasuke's hand on his forehead trailed down to his chin and tilted his head back. "Drink, my beloved. It will make the pain go away." Obediently, Naruto cracked his mouth open and something soft pressed against his teeth and something warm trailed down his throat.

And oh the taste! Naruto had never tasted anything like it, if taste would be the correct term. He could feel it, all through his body, the emotions- fear, affection, concern, hatred- and could see a flickering of memories not his own behind his eyelids. But it was a patchwork and no coherent thread weaving them together, so Naruto could make no sense of it. But, underneath all of the flashes and conflicting emotions, there was a thrum of contentedness, love, and comfort. And, as Sasuke had promised, the pain ebbed away as the drink entered his veins and spread through his body.

A few moments passed and then the object in his mouth was removed and replaced by Sasuke kissing him. Sasuke licked the edges of his mouth and nipped at his bottom lip before pulling away. "Sleep, sweetheart. I will be here when you awake."

Naruto struggled to stay awake- he had not yet seen Sasuke, only seen and felt him- but the exhaustion swept over him before he could attempt to fight it.

* * *

Naruto awoke next with a startled gasp. He had dreamt that he was still in the basement, Itachi's fist still ripping a hole through his chest. His body was lethargic, and so he could only dart his eyes around the room. He gathered enough to know that he was no longer in the basement and then Sasuke's beautiful face came into his line of sight.

"Sasuke!" Sasuke grinned at him a kneeled beside the bed, running fingers through Naruto's hair.

"Feeling better, Beloved?" Naruto grinned back.

"Yes, but…"

"But?"

"What happened? Where am I? I thought…I last remember…" Naruto scowled and tried to remember what had happened. But, the last he remembered, he was dying and he had no intention of waking again. Sasuke ran a finger down Naruto's cheek before he answered.

"Can you sit?" Naruto nodded and rolled on his side to push to sitting. Sasuke's hand was under his elbow and helping to stabilize him. As soon as he was in a sitting position, Sasuke was pulling the pillow up to place it at Naruto's back. Naruto leaned back against the pillow and sighed. Sitting now, Naruto could discern his surroundings better. It was a single room that he had never seen before, relatively smaller than his in the mansion. There was a fireplace, but there were no logs or grating in place that would be expected of a working fireplace. There were also no windows and a single door. Unlike his bed in the mansion, this bed was not a canopy bed. Looking towards the low ceiling, he noted that there were no light fixtures. Indeed, as Naruto looked around there were no lights or lamps. It was odd, since Naruto could see the details of the room as if there were a light source. Odd. "How do you feel?"

"Fine," Naruto drawled. Remarkably well, actually, considering he was supposed to be dead. He remembered his injury and decided to check on it. He pushed the covers down and pulled the hem of his shirt up. Naruto didn't know what he had been expecting, but it wasn't what he saw. There was a circular scar on his abdomen, but other than that, the skin was smooth and entirely uninjured. Naruto swallowed hard and slowly looked up and into Sasuke's face. Sasuke was watching him carefully, gauging his reaction. "Sasuke, what happened? How long have I been out?" Sasuke shifted and moved to sit beside him on the bed.

"You have slept for a little under a month, but that was to be expected." Sasuke looked away from him and toyed with the edge of the comforter. Naruto scowled at the uncharacteristic gesture. "As for what happened, I must ask you to forgive me. I have acted selfishly and against your consent." A suspicion was beginning to form at the back of his mind as Naruto poked at his healed stomach. A month wouldn't have been enough time for that to heal naturally. Curiously, Naruto ran a tongue across his teeth and pushed at the gum at the top of a canine. The sharp tip imbedding in his tongue and the quick sting confirmed it. "Ouch!"

"Naruto?"

"You turned me!" It wasn't a question. For one scary split-second, Naruto was conflicted. On the one hand, he was terrified of what he had become and at the prospect of living forever off of blood. On the other, the very idea of living with the person that he loved for the rest of eternity, regardless of the how, was romantic and exciting. And, after watching Sasuke's face fall from concern to shame, Naruto decided that the good far outweighed the bad. He could learn how to be a vampire; he would learn, especially if Sasuke was the one who taught him. He forced back his happy little grin and maintained his scowl, waiting for Sasuke's answer.

"I did. I am so, so sorry Naruto. But I was not left much of a choice. You were dying and I could not let you go like that." Naruto had momentarily forgot what was at stake those few, terrifying moments before his death, and the anger that he should have felt at being turned belatedly surfaced. Knowing that Sasuke was still alive didn't less the quick flare of panic. Naruto moved to straddle Sasuke's lap and pushed him back hard against the head board.

"Kakashi promised me that he wouldn't let you!"

"Did he?" Sasuke growled. "I assure you that if I knew that you would not want it so much I would not have attempted it." Naruto punched his shoulder and was slightly surprised to see Sasuke wince. He grinned; apparently he and Sasuke were closer to being on an even playing field.

"That's not the point, bastard. If you had asked me before you sent me away, I would have let you change me then." It was worth it to see the shock cross Sasuke's face. "The point is that Kakashi thought that that was exactly what Itachi wanted to happen so that you would be vulnerable and he would kill you." Sasuke's shocked expression melted into a pained one.

"Ah, yes. Kakashi was correct. That was Itachi's aim. He told me as he was chaining me to that wall."

"And you did it anyway?" Sasuke reached forward to cradle Naruto's face in his hand.

"Of course. What would my life be worth if you had died?" Naruto grinned at him.

"That's what I said." Sasuke scowled at him and pulled a strand of hair.

"Yes, we will discuss that later." Naruto leaned forward and kissed him.

"That's fine. I don't regret it." Sasuke grinned into the kiss.

"Then neither do I. Shall I tell you what happened then?" Naruto nodded and shifted so he could rest his head on Sasuke's shoulder. "Itachi and his followers are dead."

"Good," Naruto spat. Sasuke kissed his temple. "How'd you manage to kill them all and turn me?"

The fierce pride was evident across Sasuke's face and in his voice. "My coven was strong enough to kill Itachi's followers and fend him off while I worked on you. Though…"

Naruto tilted his head so he could look at Sasuke. "Though?"

"Though, we too suffered a casualty." The pain shot through Naruto's heart. Sasuke shifted and began to run his fingers through his hair again. "It is not your fault, Naruto, please do not suffer for it."

"Who?" Sasuke sighed.

"Sakura. I ran to you as soon as I was free and immediately began to work on turning you. It was the opportunity that Itachi was waiting for, and he moved to attack me. Sakura intercepted him. She died in the process, but was strong to the end and able to hold on long enough for me to stabilize you."

Naruto felt a wave of sadness wash over him, and he was positive it wasn't all his own. "Sasuke, I'm so sorry. I know how important she was to you."

"She was a dear, loyal friend," Sasuke agreed.

Naruto rubbed at Sasuke's hand. "Though, if she had to die, I am sure that she died the way she wanted to, with her boots on and fighting for you." Sasuke grinned down at him.

"Of course, though she was fighting for you as well." Naruto wrinkled his nose.

"Doubt that. I got the feeling that she didn't like me much."

"At one time, she did in fact hate you. However, I think your actions in the end moved her. When she moved to fight Itachi, she yelled for me to save you. I was already by your side, but I believe she was giving us her blessing, knowing that she was sacrificing herself so we could be together." Naruto was warmed by the thought that at the end he and Sakura were friends. He rested back against Sasuke.

"Is everyone else okay?" Sasuke hummed.

"Yes, for the most part. All injuries that were sustained are now healed."

"And Itachi's dead?"

"Mhm. You will never have to fear him again. Him or any of his followers." Naruto considered that.

"So, how does one kill a vampire?" Sasuke grinned at him.

"Very, very carefully." Naruto stuck his tongue out at him and Sasuke chuckled. They sat there for a couple of moments more, allowing Naruto to look around the room once more.

"So, where are we? Are we still in the house?" Sasuke shook his head.

"No. We are far from the house in a location that only I know. It is seven miles underground. At the moment, you are very sensitive to light, so we must keep you someplace where the sun cannot reach you and without any other sources of light."

"But I can still see."

"Of course. A vampire has heightened senses. You will not require the light to see."

"Huh." Sasuke chuckled at Naruto's bored expression. "So, how long do I have to stay down here?"

"The normal time required for a vampire to build up enough strength to at least be able to venture out on dark nights is a year."

"A year?" Sasuke grinned at the outburst.

"Yes, a year. And even after that, we will have to be careful to not expose you to too much light. You will be very vulnerable for at least a decade."

"A decade! As in ten years?"

"Yes, Naruto," Sasuke chuckled. "As in ten years. Iruka is only fifty years old and is still fairly dependent on his sire." Sasuke shifted down the headboard so he could lie next to Naruto and brushed some strands away from Naruto's eyes. "But, time will pass differently for you now. What once would seem a life-time will pass as if it were a day. A year will pass like one breath to the next, and a decade will pass like a night." Naruto pouted for a moment.

"Well, can I at least have visitors?" Sasuke winced, but his grin was quick to resurface.

"No. And that, unfortunately, is solely my doing. It is an instinct a sire must endure to take their fledgling far away from others and bury them away. I suppose it is to insure that our bond develops properly without outside interference and to insure that our fledglings stay safe. Most pack animals, wolves and lions, will seclude themselves when they have cubs. I suppose that it is for the same reason."

"Well, what the Hell am I supposed to do down here for a year?" Sasuke smirked evilly at him and rolled over to pin Naruto underneath him.

"Oh, I am sure we can find some way to occupy ourselves." Naruto grinned up at him.

"Is that so? What could we possibly find to occupy ourselves for a year?" Sasuke forced his smirk down and put on a serious expression, but the amusement still rolled off of him in waves.

"A great deal, actually. I have much to teach you. I must teach you our ancient language, must train you on how to fight, when and how to listen to your instincts, how to train your senses, how to hunt and feed, the use of glyphs, incantations…" Naruto had enough and kneed him in the stomach.

"You're a damn tease." Sasuke grinned at him and rolled off of him and stood.

"I must, however, leave you now for a short time."

"What? Why?"

"I must go hunt. I am feeding for two, now." Rationally, Naruto knew that made sense, but every fiber in his being was telling him to not let Sasuke go, to keep him there with him. It was an itching feeling underneath his skin, starting near his heart and spreading out. Sasuke eyed Naruto carefully before sitting back down on the bed and kissing Naruto gently at the corner of his mouth. Naruto turned into the kiss, but Sasuke moved away so he could see his pouting face. "I know. It is your instincts that tell you to stay with me always, for your safety and for the sake of our bond. I too must battle my own instincts that tell me to not leave you. But we must feed, and since you cannot go, we must be separated."

"It's not just instincts," Naruto mumbled. "I missed you." Sasuke's mouth melted into a soft grin, one that Sasuke only gave to Naruto.

"I missed you as well. The three days that you were away were fairly unbearable, and for the past month I only was allowed the pleasure of watching you sleep. But I will stay close and go quick the sooner to return." Sasuke reached out to him and ran a finger across his brow. "Perhaps you should sleep while I am gone. You still look exhausted."

Naruto wrinkled his nose at Sasuke's assumption. "I've been sleeping for a month." Sasuke smirked at the reply, even as fatigue was creeping up Naruto's spine and weighing down his head.

"Of course. The process of turning into a fledgling vampire is very taxing. You will need plenty of rest if you are to return to your normal, exuberant self." Naruto huffed and threw himself back on the bed and turned his back to Sasuke, dismissing him with a flick of his hand.

"Fine, fine. You can go then." There was a dark chuckle behind him, and then Sasuke was kissing the base of his neck on the vertebrae. He heard the slight shifting that he knew he wouldn't have been able to hear had he still been human, and then Sasuke was moving around the bed and towards the door. He didn't say good-bye, but grinned at Naruto before exiting the room. Naruto could hear Sasuke's claws drawing shapes on the other side of the closed door, drawing glyphs Naruto assumed, before all went silent.

Naruto tried to track Sasuke's progress through their still weak bond. Naruto tried to count how many prey Sasuke had taken, but his exhaustion caused him to loose count. There were moments of forced calm followed by bursts of adrenaline followed by moments of resignation and annoyance. Faithfully, he tried to stay awake to see Sasuke return, but he was struggling and quickly loosing the battle. He knew their connection went both ways and so was not surprised when he felt Sasuke pause in his normal cycle and send him reassurances through their bond. It was just enough to relax Naruto's stiffened muscles so that sleep could finally take hold.

* * *

There was a weight on top of him. The heaviness was like a security blanket, and all of the feelings of unease vanished; Sasuke was back. Naruto opened his eyes to grin at him, but the keen sharp pain in his stomach made him wince instead. Sasuke's mouth quirked sadly. "That means that you are hungry. Here."

Sasuke was lying almost on top of him with the skin of his collar bone brushing Naruto's lips. Naruto winced and turned his head away slightly, despite the flash of annoyance coming from Sasuke. It was too weird! Naruto had a feeling he was going to make a piss poor vampire. Naruto pouted up at Sasuke, whose annoyance faded to a slight amusement. "The first time is hard. It will get easier with time." When Naruto still did not bite down on the flesh in front of him, Sasuke sighed. "Feed, Naruto. Or I shall force you like you forced me." Naruto shot him a shaky grin.

"Yea, but that was different."

"Was it?" Sasuke mocked him, pulling away just enough that Naruto could see his expression of forced surprise.

"Yes. And you're a jerk." Sasuke kissed Naruto's frown lines and grinned at him before lying back down. Sasuke pressed his jaw into Naruto's and purred low in his chest. Naruto didn't so much hear it, but felt it through his own chest. He supposed it was Sasuke trying to calm his nerves, but it wasn't helping. He felt an even lower growl and then the fingers lacing through his hair moved down to cradle the side of his face. Sasuke's thumb rubbed circles at the hinge of his jaw, forcing his mouth open. Sasuke took the opportunity to shift and push a part of his throat against to top of Naruto's teeth. Naruto whimpered a bit and struggled, bringing his legs up to push at the bed, trying to scoot himself out from underneath Sasuke and fisting the back of Sasuke's shirt. Sasuke's low purr was back, though, and Naruto's struggles were in vain. The feeling of an itching all along his gums at the base of his canines was all the warning Naruto had before his instincts took over and extended his fangs.

The expected taste of metal never came. Instead, the blood filling his mouth was sweet, tasting of emotions, memories, and the blood donors' meals. Carefully, he swallowed. He could feel his blood meal immediately absorbed by his body, flooding his veins and abating the pain. He felt a vague lightheadedness that he knew wasn't his own, and tested Sasuke's hold on his head. To his delight, Sasuke let him pull away. Sasuke lapped at his lips and chin, cleaning his mouth, and then rested his head by Naruto's. Naruto watched the injury on Sasuke's neck heal as Sasuke returned his fingers to Naruto's hair.

"I thought I had lost you." Naruto turned his head to be nose-to-nose with Sasuke, looking in his eyes. Sasuke stroked his cheek. "I did not know if I had gotten to you in time. And you slept for so long, much longer than the norm. For a month, you did not move, and of course there was no pulse. My only hope was that your wound healed and you were not deteriorating. Two days ago, you woke for the first time, screaming and in pain. I admit, your screams were the sweetest sound I have ever heard. It meant I had not lost you, that you were still mine."

"I'll always be yours." Sasuke grinned at him and rested his head on Naruto's shoulder. They lay there for sometime, Naruto enjoying having Sasuke so close. As Naruto's mind wandered, reflecting on how he had gotten there, he started to draw patterns on Sasuke's back. He hadn't realized what he was doing until he started to feel patterns being drawn on his own back. Confused, he checked Sasuke's hands- one in his hair, the other laced with his own free hand. He drew an S on the small of Sasuke's back, felt an identical S on his own. He wondered…but then Sasuke's fingers were twitching in his hair. "Is that…?"

Sasuke grinned and licked at Naruto's cheek. Naruto could feel his own skin raking across his tongue. "I can feel it as much as if you had licked me." Naruto stared back at him with wide eyes.

"Weird! Is that our bond? Will it always be like that?" Sasuke propped himself up on his elbow.

"Hm. How to explain? Yes, that is our bond. It is particularly sensitive at the moment, because I have just fed you and by our prolonged proximity. Once we are no longer touching and your meal is fully digested, the sensitivity will wane." Naruto found himself disappointed. Sasuke chuckled, and Naruto felt Sasuke's assurance flood his mind. "The longer we are together, the older you become, our connection will strength. It will wane, but it will be stronger than before. One day, we will be able to be continents apart and be able to feel each other as if the other was there; share thoughts as easy as if we were standing in front of each other talking."

Naruto was intrigued and thrilled at the prospect. "Is it the same with you and Kakashi?" Sasuke winced, and Naruto could feel the guilt and the feeling of failure through there connection. He focused on the feeling and focused on his feelings apology and reassurance. He didn't know how successful he was, but he received a grin from Sasuke for his effort.

"No. Kakashi is not fully my fledgling. I required help to turn him. Also, due to…circumstances, I was unable to spend enough time with him for the first couple of years, our bond never was able to fully form. For the first year, I could never even read his emotions. Over time, we have been together long enough that the basis of our bond is there." Sasuke paused and smirked at Nartuo. "Of course, the feelings the sire has for the fledgling affects the strength of the bond as well."

Naruto tried to figure that one out. He knew how close Kakashi and Sasuke were, and only hoped that Sasuke would learn to rely on him as much as he did Kakashi. And, while he was being truthful with himself, he wanted to be as close to Sasuke as he could, and the easiest way to do that was to make sure their bond was strong. "How so?"

Sasuke let his head fall to the side, attempting for all the world to look nonchalant, but Naruto could feel the smugness coming from him. "Well, I suppose that a sire's bond would be stronger for a fledgling that he was in love with rather than respected as an elder." Naruto grinned.

"Is that so? Then do you love me?" Sasuke straightened his head and look Naruto straight in the eye.

"Yes. Very much so." Naruto sighed and reached up to twist his fingers in the hair at the nape of Sasuke's neck, pulling him down so he could kiss him hard. Those words, and all the meaning that came with them, meant all the world to him, and Naruto knew that he could have died happy in that moment. All this time, he had been given the leisure of assuming Sasuke's affection for him. It had been like he had been holding his breath all these months and now, with the actual knowledge of Sasuke's love, Naruto could finally exhale. The release of the tension caused him to whimper slightly. Or, that could be the man above him. Sasuke had shifted from Naruto's side so he could lie on top of him, pushing his body into Naruto's. It took just one rock of Sasuke's hips to force a shriek out of Naruto's throat.

"Holy Hell!" The duality of experiencing his own and Sasuke's pleasure caused his vision to tunnel. It was too much too fast, and he threw his head back to force air into his lungs. Sasuke pressed his lips into Naruto's throat and chuckled.

"All right. Breathe." He gently scraped his fangs across Naruto's throat, ending in a nip at his shoulder. Faintly, Naruto felt claws softly raking down his ribs and grasping the top of his hip bone. He jumped slightly when he felt a nip on his other hip bone and he shifted just enough to see Sasuke peering up at him with laughing eyes, fangs fully extended. He bit his lip as he watched Sasuke trace his scar with his fangs, ending in a hard pressing kiss below his naval.

"Sasuke," he whined. Sasuke growled back at him before catching the top of his boxers in his fangs and pulling them down over his hips. Naruto had to look away. The feeling of Sasuke's fangs traveling down his length was nearly his undoing and caused him to arch his back. The action forced Sasuke's claws to imbed in his hip, but it was enough to bring his sanity back to him long enough to fist his claw-tipped hands in the sheets so he wouldn't scratch at Sasuke. In the end, he didn't last long. All it took was a sharp, biting nip to the base of his cock to be his undoing. He came hard with a searing white hot heat shooting up his spine. He felt Sasuke sink his fangs into his inner thigh and the aftershocks of both of their releases before he allowed himself to succumb to the blackness tinting the edges of his vision.

* * *

Naruto didn't know how long he had been out, but he could smell clean sheets and feel the slide of fresh boxers. He also smelled Sasuke. He knew that Sasuke wasn't next to him, to his dismay, but he also knew that he wasn't far. Carefully, Nartuo rolled to his side and pushed himself up on his elbows. Sasuke was there, sitting in an over-stuffed easy chair next to his bed, a heavy looking book open in his lap. Sasuke was watching him struggle into consciousness and rewarded his efforts with a gentle grin. Naruto grinned back at him before motioning to the book. "What are you reading?"

Sasuke hummed and leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees, the book opened in front of him. Naruto could tell that Sasuke was going to read to him, so he pushed himself up enough so he could lean back into the headboard and enjoy listening to Sasuke's voice. Sasuke shot him another grin before looking back at the book.

"I have loved you with an everlasting love. Before time began, I knew you. For years, you swam around in a sea of meaninglessness, searching for love, hoping for hope. All that time I was pursuing you, aching to embrace you in my compassionate arms. When the time was right, I revealed myself to you. I sang you a love song, whose beginning and end are veiled in eternity. Join me in singing my song. Together, we will draw out of the darkness and into the light."

Naruto was speechless. "That's beautiful. What's that from?" Sasuke actually laughed before closing the book and showing Naruto the cover. "The Bible?" In disbelief, Naruto laughed as well.

"This is a more recent edition. I have one of the original King James' Bibles, but I keep that safely locked away." Naruto grinned.

"So how old are you really?" Sasuke grinned at him before motioning back to the book.

"The first accepted English translation was commissioned by King James in 1604. Unfortunately, Latin is incredibly difficult to translate, and often meanings are lost. So, can you imagine who King James hired to do the translations?" Naruto shook his head. "Playwrights. One of which was the infamous William Shakespeare. It truly is a marvelous piece of literature, written in perfect iambic pentameter." Sasuke stroked the binding, a soft scowl flitting across his features before placing it on the table beside his chair. "Before Itachi turned me, but after he had killed our family, I was lost. I had very little to believe in and I could never understand the why. Why did Itachi betray me? Why was I chosen to ender that torment? Why must I become something I hated? Why must I be forced to live forever in anguish? Why? Ironically, the Bible was one of the first places I looked for answers."

Naruto slipped from the bed and moved to sit across Sasuke's lap. He could feel the distress of ancient memories that still stung. He ran fingers through Sasuke's hair. "Did you find your answers?" Sasuke laughed bitterly.

"No. I have studied every faith, read every scholar's article, desperate to find answers, but I have always come up frustratingly short. But, wonder of wonders, I found my answer in the most unexpected location." Naruto was enraptured.

"Where?" Sasuke smiled at him softly and traced his cheek.

"Standing in a dirty alley, holding a dying baby." Naruto's breath caught in his throat. "When I see you, everything in the universe makes sense. When I see you, my heart is at peace. If you are by my side, then I feel like I can face forever."

Well, and what could Naruto say in reply to that? He struggled for a moment before swallowing hard. "So, you're younger than two-thousand…"

Sasuke's deep chuckle resonated through the room.


	16. Chapter 15: Epilogue

**I am so sorry for how long it took me to finish this, especially since it's a quick wrap-up. Unfortunately, the first week of med school left me staring dumbly at a wall and drooling. I'm better now.**

**First two requests are up. Feel free to still send me requests! It's definitely a writer's exercise for me as well. **

**I hope that you've enjoyed reading this story as much as I did writing it!**

* * *

**Chapter 16: Epilogue**

If anyone wanted to bother to look for Naruto, he was out on the dance floor. Alone, since Sasuke was away on "business". A new coven had established itself not too far from the city and Sasuke had wasted no time in making contact with them and strongly suggesting that they adhere to Sasuke's rules of feeding. The meeting with the new coven's leader had made Naruto a little uneasy, especially since Sasuke had left Kakashi at the house to manage things there and decided to go by himself. Naruto hadn't wanted Sasuke to go alone and had suggested that he go with him, but Sasuke hadn't liked the thought of taking him into an unfamiliar coven. Fortunately, the answer had arrived on their doorstep. Gaara had become a surprising ally since Itachi's demise. With Gaara traveling to meet their new neighbors with Sasuke, Naruto relented to staying home.

Their new-found ally wasn't all that had changed in the past year. The coven, now half the size as it used to be, all lived in the same house. Sasuke had moved everything into the second, more comfortable house. The bigger house was used for formal meetings and for storage. By the time Naruto was strong enough to emerge from the underground, Sasuke had moved all of his belongings to the second, now first, house. Naruto had his own room across the hall from Sasuke's, but to be honest, Naruto didn't spend too much time in there. In his defense, he had tried to sleep in his own room that first night, but after a year of sleeping next to another person, he felt too exposed and vulnerable attempting to sleep by himself. So, he had wrapped himself up in a comforter, careful to not leave any skin exposed, and made his way across the hall into Sasuke's room. Sasuke had been awake and welcomed him to his bed with open arms. The next night, Naruto had moved all of his things to Sasuke's room. Sasuke took the invasion well, with a light grin and minimal snarky comments.

Naruto supposed that the reason Sasuke didn't put up much of a fuss was because he felt just as uneasy about being separated from him. It was a nice side-effect of their bond that Naruto could always tell what Sasuke was feeling. Their bond had developed quickly, even to Sasuke's surprise. Naruto wasn't; he was a quick learner, especially when he put his mind to it. Now, there was a heavy presence of Sasuke in the back of Naruto's mind that lingered around him like a security blanket. It was an immense comfort to him, especially during the last couple of weeks while Sasuke was away. Naruto would sometimes find himself curled in the corner, just focusing on Sasuke and their connection, and it was almost as if Sasuke was there with him.

Another beneficial development of their connection was their ability to talk directly to each other through their connection, even through the difference of several miles. Sasuke would tell Naruto directions to running the coven, to which Naruto may have slightly distorted ("Shino, Sasuke says that you have to strip, run around the house, and sing 'Ba Ba Black Sheep'") that Kakashi inevitably would correct. During the day, when Naruto couldn't sleep, he would talk to Sasuke, tell him about his night, and ask how negotiations were going. The conversations were pointless, since Sasuke already knew how Naruto's day went and Naruto already knew that negotiations weren't going well. He had been playing a weird board game with Shikamaru one day when he had felt a flair of anger, adrenaline, and slight panic before an unimaginable pain ripped through his shoulder. He had screamed, not from the pain, but knowing that Sasuke had been attacked. Shikamaru had jumped from his seat in shock and Kakashi had ran into the room, looking just as panicked as Naruto. It didn't take long for Sasuke to reassure him, saying that the leader of the new coven had just gotten a little frisky and that everything was okay. Naruto had tried to reassure his coven that Sasuke was fine, but he had spent the rest of the day in his and Sasuke's bedroom, following his connection back to Sasuke, happy to know that he was annoyed, but alive.

Yesterday, Sasuke had told Naruto that he was finally coming home, the leader of the neighboring coven finally coming to the conclusion that it may be beneficial to be Sasuke's ally rather than Sasuke's enemy. And so Naruto was here, at the club, waiting for Sasuke to come back to him. But Sasuke was running late and Naruto had a short attention span, so that led to his current position on the dance floor. His eyes were closed so he couldn't _see_ the bodies around him, but he could feel them pressing into him and smell their drunken arousal. He knew that Sasuke could feel what he could, and he could feel Sasuke's irritation. Naruto hoped that it would cause him to move a little quicker, but he didn't want Sasuke to cause too much of a riot, so he kept his hands in the air.

"_Naruto, are you behaving?"_ Sasuke's voice rang clear through his head and Naruto could feel the distance between them closing. He wasn't far now.

"_Define 'behave'."_

"_Naruto…"_ Sasuke's voice was a warning. Naruto grinned and felt an idiotic, drunk girl wrap her arms around Naruto's neck. Naruto felt Sasuke's anger rise up expectedly and could almost feel his deep growl reverberating through his body.

"_Then I suppose you'll just have to come find out!"_ Naruto most definitely felt the growl in his chest that time, as well as the tell-tale itching of his gums that told him that Sasuke's fangs were extended.

Naruto finally opened his eyes as he felt the girl with an apparent death wish push closer to him. He smiled down at her, careful to keep his lips pulled down over his teeth. She pouted up at him.

"You don't want to dance with me?" Her speech was slurred and Naruto could smell the alcohol on her breath. Hell, he could get drunk off that alone. He shook his head to clear it of the odor before trying to focus on what she was asking him. He supposed she was referring to his refusal to put his arms around her. He grinned at her and shook his head again. She frowned and pressed her chest, low-cut dress, cleavage and all, closer. "Why not?"

Naruto considered his options before deciding on a mostly honest reply. "I don't think my boyfriend would like that much."

The girl scowled, her drunken mind trying to sort through Naruto's comment. She didn't have much of a chance. Naruto leaned back into the strong arms wrapping around his waist and relished in the familiar scent. The girl's eyes drifted over Naruto's shoulder and her jaw dropped. Naruto felt almost bad for her.

"Hello," Sasuke's deep voice drifted by Naruto's ear. He tried, and failed, to suppress the shiver down his spine. "I believe you are manhandling what is mine."

"Huh?" She sounded dazed and Naruto didn't know if it was the alcohol or Sasuke's presence that was the cause. He felt one of Sasuke's hands leave his waist to wrap around the girl's wrist, pulling it away from his neck. The itching was back in his gums and he carefully closed his mouth and attempted to smile comfortingly at the girl. There was the familiar popping of flesh yielding to fang and the sweet coppery scent of blood. From the corner of his eye, Naruto could see the members of his coven freeze and carefully look to the little scene on the dance floor. He surreptitiously wiggled his fingers to let them know everything was okay.

The girl's eyes were beginning to flutter and the weight of her other arm started to slip off Naruto's shoulder. When she began to sag against him, Naruto finally relented and wrapped his arms around her waist, supporting her weight. "Sasuke…" Naruto warned. Sasuke growled, but Naruto could feel his gums retract.

"I have been gone for three weeks, and when I return it is to see this pitiful creature hanging off of you."

"She didn't know what she was doing." Sasuke's eyes narrowed at the excuse, but Naruto grinned at him, testing his patience. "Punish me, then. Not yourself." Because Naruto knew that if Sasuke took his jealousy out on the girl, he would regret it. The hardness if Sasuke's eyes finally softened and he relinquished the now unconscious girl fully to Naruto.

"Get rid of her then." Sasuke turned and left the dance floor, leaving Naruto gaping at his back.

"Yea, sure. Right then." Naruto glanced around the room before he noticed a few wide eyed girls he had seen with the one in his arms. He made his way towards them, struggling to move with the added load. The girl was light, but she was an awkward dead weight. "Hello," he crooned as he approached the girls. "I think your friend's had a bit much tonight. I think you should take her home now." Slowly, they nodded and moved to relieve him of his burden.

Naruto stretched his arms out and watched the girls leave with their friend before turning to find Sasuke. He was leaning against the wall by the door to the alley. Naruto grinned to himself before moving towards him. Sasuke smirked back at him evilly and in the next moment, Naurto was in the alley being pushed against the wall.

Sasuke kissed him hard, splitting his lip. Naruto didn't mind; it was already healing and he was so enjoying having Sasuke here with him.

"_Missed you,"_ Naruto purred in his mind.

"_And I you." _Sasuke kissed and nipped his way down Naruto's throat. Naruto only had the familiar tingling in his gums as warning before Sasuke's fangs were imbedded in his jugular. Naruto didn't mind that either and he smiled wide as he tilted his head back to allow his sire better access. He had known that he would be hungry when he finally made it to the club and had taken a bit more blood than he usually would have to prepare for Sasuke's return. Tonight, Naruto wanted Sasuke all to himself.

Sasuke licked the wound closed and buried his nose at the back of Naruto's jaw line, lacing their fingers together. He gently ran his nose across Naruto's cheeks to end by pressing their foreheads together. Naruto saw the last of the red fading from Sasuke's eyes. He grinned and went to kiss the lips that were so close, but was interrupted by that damned door slamming open.

"Oops!" Kiba. Figured. Naruto rolled his eyes and raised an eyebrow at Kiba. Sasuke sighed and rested his head on Naruto's shoulder. "I'll just…go. Sorry, I didn't know…um…see you back at the house." Kiba went to go back inside the club, but stopped and re-opened the door. "Good to see you back, boss." Sasuke raised his head and nodded once in Kiba's direction. Kiba grinned, wriggled his fingers, and retreated back into the club. Naruto felt like laughing.

"Come on. I want to go somewhere."

* * *

Naruto vaguely acknowledge that it was possible that Sasuke was almost more uncomfortable than he was.

"Does that night still frighten you?" Naruto kneeled down at the spot where, a little over a year ago, his would be mugger met his untimely end. Naruto thought about his answer before replying. The fear he had felt at seeing what Sasuke was had been real. But now, the love and affection he had for Sasuke had changed his perception of that night greatly.

"Yes." Naruto felt Sasuke's shot of pain as clearly as if it had been his own. He winced and rubbed at his still chest before continuing. "But not because of you. I still remember that man's eyes when he pointed that gun at me. His eyes were crazed. He would have killed me." He turned to look back at Sasuke before he teased, "I don't think I ever thanked you properly for saving me that night." Sasuke grinned at him and kneeled down next to him.

"Then, why did you wish to return here?"

"Because this is where it began." Sasuke wrinkled his brow, so Naruto knew he had to elaborate. "For me, at least. The beginning of all my dreams coming true." Sasuke chuckled.

"You dreamt of having your life stolen from you? Of all of the pain and blood?" Naruto laughed as well.

"Well, perhaps I dream in shades of red. I am a vampire now, after all." Naruto stood and watched as Sasuke followed him. "And you didn't steal my life. You gave it back to me. You've given me a home. You are my home. That night, I was trying to figure out who I was, remember?" Sasuke nodded.

"I remember. Do you know now?" It was Naruto's turn to wrinkle his brow as he considered the question. How to explain? He shrugged.

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto." Sasuke chuckled. He didn't need much more of an explanation. He could already feel the assurance Naruto had from that fact.

"Well, well. I am glad that you now know that to be true." Naruto smiled back, but his smile faded as another thought entered his head.

"What about you? Are you still angry at me for running that night?" Sasuke scowled.

"Of course not. I never was. In fact, if you had not run, I would have been concerned. It would have meant that you had given up on all self preservation." Sasuke's scowl deepened as he ran his hand over Naruto's stomach, over where he still had a scar. "Of course, that, I suppose, is still up for debate." Naruto grinned.

"So, you aren't sad that I ran?" Sasuke's scowl melted away into a smirk.

"No. You were not that hard to catch."

"Huh. Well, I suppose that we're more evenly matched now." Sasuke raised an eyebrow at him.

"Are we then?" Naruto nodded and leaned forward to kiss Sasuke. He grinned into his kiss and as he felt Sasuke shift to move closer to him, he turned to take off running.

It was a few seconds before he heard, _"You little cheat!"_ behind him. Naruto laughed out loud as he hit the forest at an out and out dead run. He could feel Sasuke practically breathing down his neck, but his amusement was heavy in the back of Naruto's mind.

Naruto sighed and briefly closed his eyes, letting the cool night air wash over him, before deciding that maybe he'd let Sasuke catch him. This time.


End file.
